Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan stated on Tuesday that Pakistan escalated the conflict with India by launching a series of attacks on the night of May 10, three days after India conducted military strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Speaking at Savitribai Phule Pune University, General Chauhan said, “At around 1 a.m. on May 10, Pakistan aimed to bring India to its knees within 48 hours by launching multiple attacks. In doing so, they escalated a conflict that India had limited to terror targets.”

He added that Pakistan expected the operation to last 48 hours, but it was wrapped up in about eight hours.

On May 10, after Pakistan’s late-night attacks, India retaliated by targeting key airbases such as Nur Khan, Murid, and Rafiqui in Pakistan.

Following the escalation, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart, expressing Islamabad’s willingness to talk.

“Pakistan’s decision to initiate talks on May 10 came from the realization that continuing the operation would cause them greater losses. When Pakistan requested de-escalation, India accepted,” said General Chauhan.

Details of May 10:
Between the night of May 9 and 10, Pakistan intensified attacks across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), striking 26 locations from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir to Naliya in Gujarat. These attacks included Indian Air Force stations at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj, as well as medical centers and schools near IAF bases in Srinagar, Udhampur, and Awantipora.

At 1:40 a.m., Pakistan launched a high-speed missile attack targeting air bases in Punjab, India. Most of these attacks were successfully repelled by Indian forces.

In retaliation, India conducted precise strikes on Pakistani military bases, command centers, and weapons depots, hitting air bases such as Rafiqui, Murid, Nur Khan, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian.

Following these actions, Pakistan reached out to India for talks, and by 5 p.m., both nations officially declared a ceasefire to end hostilities.