India's May 10 strikes on Pakistan's air bases ‘hell fire’, ‘turning point’ in conflict, says report

India informed Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) on May 7 about the strikes it had conducted on terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), under Operation Sindoor, but got no response, news agency ANI said on Sunday, quoting sources.

According to the report, the Pakistani DGMO had asked for talks to be scheduled only after India had struck Pakistan's air bases in the early hours of May 10 in response to Pakistan's drone attack on 26 locations the night before.

Terming the air strikes by India on May 9 and May 10 as “hell fire” and a “turning point” in the conflict, sources told ANI that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after speaking with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir. Rubio had reportedly told Jaishankar that Pakistan is ready to talk.

“India made it clear that talks should be between DGMOs and no one else,” the ANI report added. “Pakistan DGMO requested for the time with the Indian counterpart at 1 pm on May 10,” it said.

‘De-escalation’ agreement after DGMOs talk

India and Pakistan on Saturday decided to stop firing and military action on land and in the air from today, Foreign Secretary Vikrim Misri said on May 10.

"The DGMO (Director General of Military Operations) of Pakistan called DGMO of India at 15.35 hours earlier this afternoon. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 1700 hours IST," Misri said.

The decision was made after contact had been established between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan to arrive at a ceasefire arrangement. Pakistan, however, violated the ceasefire ‘arrangement’ hours after announcing it on Saturday.

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A quick look at India-Pakistan conflict so far

Tensions soared after the Indian Armed Forces on the intervening night of May 6-7 conducted precision strikes, under Operation Sindoor, targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.

In the early hours of May 7, Pakistan began heavy shelling across the LoC in Poonch, increasing the intensity of unprovoked firing in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Medhar, and Rajouri sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.

On May 8, the Indian armed forces targeted Pakistan's air defence radars and systems at several locations, in which the air defence system in Lahore was neutralised.

On the intervening night of May 8-9, Pakistan had launched a series of coordinated drone and missile attacks along India's western border, targeting 26 locations. Defence officials said the the attacks were intercepted by India's air defence systems, including the S-400 missile defence system, preventing significant damage.

Then, for the third consecutive day, on the intervening night of May 9-10, Pakistan violated Indian airspace by launching drones at several locations. Pakistan had also resorted to cross-border firing and shelling along the LoC and International Border.

On the morning of May 10, India carried out strikes at four airbases in Pakistan. Precision strikes were carried out on Pakistani military targets in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian, as well as radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation bases, using air-launched weapons from Indian fighter jets, the Indian Army said.

By the evening of May 10, India and Pakistan decided to stop firing and military action on land and in the air from 5 pm on Saturday, an agreement that Pakistan violated later that night.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with "seriousness and responsibility".