A series of developments have not only confirmed the vast scale of losses that India suffered as a consequence of its naked aggression against Pakistan but also the highest level of professionalism by the defence forces of Pakistan.
The latest are reports emanating from New Delhi that the Indian Government has announced posthumous honours for its defence personnel, who lost their lives in the conflict, indirectly acknowledging killing of military personnel. Among those to be awarded posthumously are four Indian Air Force pilots, three of whom flew Rafale jets. The list also includes five operators of the S-400 air defence system who were killed at the Adampur Airbase, security officials say. Nine more personnel who lost their lives at the Udhampur Airbase, including members of its air defence unit, are also named for honours. In addition, two soldiers from the Rajouri aviation base and four others from the Uri supply depot, including its officer-in-charge, are reportedly being recognized.
It is known to all that propaganda is considered as part and parcel of the warfare and attempts are made by the warring parties to hide their own losses and exaggerate those of their enemy. However, gradual admission of losses by the Indian Government and the military leadership bear testimony to the fact that the Pakistani account of the war was hundred percent based on ground realities. Pakistan made no secret of the losses it suffered due to unprovoked invasion by India and international media, defence analysts and India itself are now confirming what Islamabad claimed about its successes. The latest revelations (through announcement of honours for those killed) and statements of India military leaders should also serve as an eye-openers for those in Pakistan who were in the habit of belittling national achievements because of their born malice against defence forces of Pakistan. It has widely been propagated by some political elements, analysts and biased journalists that the losses that Pakistan claimed to have inflicted on India are unconfirmed. They argued that there was no independent confirmation of the achievements of Pakistan whereas the entire world witnessed India’s attacks on different targets including airports in Pakistan. They particularly suspected veracity of claims that six fighter aircraft including three Rafale were downed; over two billion dollar worth of S-400 systems were destroyed and much more damage was inflicted when the storage depot of BrahMos missiles was successfully hit.
Indian admission is also a sort of slap on their face as awards have been announced for four Indian pilots, three of whom flew Rafale jets. Critics also argue that no Pakistani aircraft crossed the LoC or international border but no one made any claims in this regard as Indian fighter jets were brought down through air-to-air missiles from a distance of hundreds of kilometres. Similarly, the Indian Deputy Chief of Army Staff has also confirmed the arrival of two S-400 systems from Russia in August ‘to replace the two which we lost to Pakistan’. It is because of the scale and significance of the losses that India rushed to President Donald Trump to intervene and broker a ceasefire. It is also relevant to point out that Pakistan has made it clear it mobilized less than thirty percent of its assets against India. There have also been authentic claims that Pakistan was in a position to down at least twenty Indian fighter jets but exercised restraint as part of the strategy not to escalate the conflict. In fact, we are getting confirmation of Indian losses in tit bits because of restrictions imposed by Indian authorities on reporting of the facts and fuller details might never be available. There was also a marked difference in attacks and counter-attacks as Indian deliberately targeted civilians and places of worship but Pakistan defence forces only pounded on military assets, teaching a lesson to the enemy.
