'We all performed Namaz ...': Ex-Pak officer recalls panic among forces during India's Op Sindoor strikes

Retired air force officer recalls drone strikes in India’s Operation Sindoor

Pakistan’s Air Commodore (Retired) Khalid Chisthi, a former Pakistan Air Force officer and defence analyst, has spoken about the internal state of Pakistan’s military during India’s Operation Sindoor in a podcast at GNN Studios.

Recalling the developments, Chisthi said India carried out drone strikes over three consecutive days, targeting six Pakistani air bases and causing what he described as minor damage. He termed the episode a “turning point” for Pakistan’s military preparedness and response.

“India threw fired drones at us for three days. The drones hit 6 bases on Pakistan, faced minor damage. That was a turning point. Either Pakistan has no capacity to give response, or if the capacity is there then courage is not there. the whole team performed Namaz in the operation room,” he said.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India in May 2025 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people.

Recently, a video was circulating on social media claims to show the second strike on Pakistan’s Noor Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi by India’s BrahMos long-range supersonic cruise missile during Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025. The operation was launched by India in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack earlier that month.

In the footage, a Pakistani man is heard asking, “Is this a drone?” just as an explosion occurs. The video seems to capture the aftermath of a missile strike, indicating significant damage, though its authenticity and origin have not been independently verified.