Op Sindoor: Deleted report claims Pakistan lost 150 soldiers

Months after the Indian Armed Forces executed Operation Sindoor, reports have resurfaced online suggesting that Pakistan may have suffered far heavier casualties than officially acknowledged. A deleted Pakistani news report claimed that Islamabad lost over 150 soldiers during India’s precision strikes in May 2025. Screenshots of the report, now circulating widely on social media, have reignited debates about the scale of losses across the border.

The Deleted Report and Awards List

The deleted article allegedly detailed a list of gallantry awards conferred by Pakistan’s president under “Operation Bunyanun Marsoos”, the codename for Islamabad’s retaliatory response to India’s strikes. The report mentioned 155 names with the honorific “Shaheed” (martyr), suggesting they were killed in action.

According to the released list:

•146 soldiers were awarded the Imtiazi Sanad, with their names marked as Shaheed.

•45 soldiers received the Tamgha e Basalat, including four posthumous awards.

• Among the Sitara-e-Basalat recipients, one soldier was awarded posthumously.

•Of the Tamgha-e-Jurat honorees, four out of five were conferred posthumously.

The figures, if accurate, point to a significant toll on Pakistan’s armed forces. The figures, if accurate, point to a significant toll on Pakistan’s armed forces. However, no official confirmation has been issued by the Pakistani government, and the report was swiftly deleted after publication.

Echoes of Kargil War

The alleged cover-up has drawn parallels with the 1999 Kargil War, when Pakistan initially denied involvement and abandoned the bodies of its soldiers on Indian soil. Analysts suggest the quick removal of the report indicates Islamabad’s continued reluctance to publicly acknowledge battlefield losses.

Pahalgam Attack and Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor was launched by India in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, when five to six Pakistan-backed terrorists opened fire on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir, killing civilians. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy, initially claimed responsibility but later distanced itself.In response, on the night of May 6–7, Indian forces targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan retaliated by attempting strikes on Indian civilian and military installations, but India’s air defence systems successfully repelled the attacks. On May 9–10, India escalated by striking 11 Pakistani air bases, forcing Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to reach out for a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, neither India nor Pakistan has issued an official statement on the deleted report. Independent verification of the claims remains unavailable. However, the incident has raised serious questions about transparency in Islamabad and the potential scale of damage inflicted by Operation Sindoor, which some analysts are calling one of the heaviest blows to Pakistan’s military in decades.

(Correspondent)