The move is seen by analysts as a reluctant admission of the heavy toll suffered by Indian forces, particularly along the Line of Control (LoC).
According to trusted security sources, over 250 Indian servicemen, soldiers, pilots, and air defense personnel were killed in the course of the operation. Over 100 of them are currently being posthumously awarded military honors — a change of India s previous efforts to downplay the magnitude of the operation s casualty.
Indian troops suffered extensive losses during the operation, according to reports, at the hands of precision attacks by Pakistan. These included the destruction of sophisticated air defense systems, strategic military infrastructure, and personnel deployed at strategic bases like Pathankot, Udhampur, Rajouri, and Uri. Indian media and authorities had been playing down or denying these losses for months.
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Interestingly, four Indian Air Force pilots, three of whom were operating the Rafale aircraft, are reported to be among the being awarded. Five S-400 missile system operators who were killed at Adampur Airbase and nine personnel from the Udhampur Air Defence Unit are reportedly also being awarded.
Other formations who have been confirmed casualties include:
93 Infantry Brigade HQ: 9 dead
10 Infantry Brigade, G-Top: 5 dead
Indian Air Force Unit: 7 personnel
Rajouri Aviation Base: 2 deaths
Uri Supply Depot (including Officer Commanding): 4 deaths
Intelligence Field Support Unit, Nowshera: 1 death
12 Infantry Brigade, Uri: 3 deaths
The decision to confer honours has generated speculation and criticism in military and political quarters.
Indian military authorities have reportedly begun awarding posthumous honors to soldiers killed during Operation Sindoor, a conflict that the Indian government had previously refrained from publicly acknowledging.
The move is seen by analysts as a reluctant admission of the heavy toll suffered by Indian forces, particularly along the Line of Control (LoC), during the covert operation. The Indian government has always attempted to downplay the effects of Operation Sindoor, even as global media and foreign diplomatic sources attested to the destruction of military facilities and the shoot-down of assets like Rafale fighter jets.
The critics are now questioning the timing and motives behind the honors. "If the Indian military leadership cared so much for these soldiers, why were their deaths not admitted earlier?" asked a security source. "Why salute them now, unless forced by internal opposition and increasing pressure?"
The episode has rekindled debate over transparency and accountability within India’s armed forces and government, particularly during conflict situations. It also underscores a pattern of concealing operational failures and misrepresenting battlefield outcomes for political optics.
It is pertinent to note that India, using the killing of tourists in Pahalgam as a pretext, launched attacks on Pakistan on the night of May 6 and 7. However, Pakistan responded immediately, and the Pakistan Air Force shot down 6 Indian aircraft, including the latest Rafale jets.
Pakistani forces gave a strong response to India on all fronts, destroying several Indian posts on the Line of Control, in which dozens of Indian soldiers were also killed.
