‘You show me one photograph…’: NSA Ajit Doval slams foreign media coverage of Op Sindoor

CHENNAI: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Friday slammed foreign media for their reportage of Operation Sindoor, challenging them to give proof of damage to Indian infrastructure by Pakistani strikes.

Addressing at the 62nd convocation of IIT Madras, Ajit Doval talked about Operation Sindoor, where he highlighted ‘biasness’ of foreign media when it comes to covering India’s interests. He said that foreign media reported that “Pakistan did this and that”, but images only show damage done by Indian Air Force on Pakistan’s bases.

“Foreign press said that Pakistan did that and this. You tell me one photograph, one image, which shows any damage to any Indian (structure), even a glass pane having been broken. They wrote these things. The images only showed 13 air bases in Pakistan before and after May 10, whether it was in Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Chaklala”, NSA Doval said.

#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Speaking on Operation Sindoor, at IIT Madras, NSA Ajit Doval slams the foreign media for their reportage on the operation.

“Foreign press said that Pakistan did that and this…You tell me one photograph, one image, which shows any damage to any… pic.twitter.com/v13Pr8RuRf

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2025

“I am only telling you what the foreign media put out on the basis of images. We are capable of doing it (damage to Pakistani air bases),” he added.

On the intervening night of May 9 and 10, the Indian Air Force, with active support of other forces struck Pakistani air bases spanning the length and breadth of the country and in the process also, crippled their Chinese supported air defence systems. Around 15 BrahMos missiles were fired by the Indian Air Force to target the Pakistan Air Force base with an aim of disrupting their ability to launch aircraft and other operations, sources said.

Further, speaking about the Operation Sindoor, Ajit Doval highlighted how Indian indigenous defence capabilities played a defining role during the conflict, urging the need to develop more indigenous technology.

“We have to develop our indigenous technology. Mention of Sindoor was made here. We are really proud of how much of indigenous content was there. We are proud of that some of the best systems were there, whether it was BrahMos missiles, whether it was our integrated air control and command system, whether it was our radars. We decided to have 9 terrorist targets in the criss-cross of Pakistan, it was not in the border areas. We hit nowhere else except that. It was precise to the point where we knew who was where. Entire operation took 23 minutes,” Doval said.

Doval also emphasised that Artificial Intelligence is a “game changer” and India needs to make it a “focal point” in order to lead and develop. “AI is one of the great game changers. AI will change the world at a rate of every year. It will become unrecognisable from everything we do today, and its application will be diverse, not only required for research and development, but also for machine learning, LLMs, defence, robotics, medicine, finance, and everything. If India is going to lead and develop, make it a focal point. This is the one area that we have to develop,” he said.

Along with BrahMos missiles, the indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile air defence system has played a key role in thwarting Pakistani drone attacks targeting Indian assets. Operation Sindoor was launched after Pahalgam terror attack to give a “befitting reply” to Pakistan for their terror-related activities. Indian Armed Forces destroyed nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in air strikes on May 7.

Following Pakistan retaliating, Indian Armed forces significantly damaged their air force bases on the intervening night of May 9 and 10, including Nur Khan base. Later, a cessation of hostilities was agreed upon by the DGMOs of both countries. (ANI)