In the aftermath of India’s precision military campaign, Operation Sindoor, Pakistan ramped up a disinformation campaign, falsely claiming successful strikes on Indian airbases at Adampur in Punjab and Bhuj in Gujarat. However, multiple independent satellite imagery reviews have exposed Islamabad’s assertions as fabrications.
At the centre of the fact-checking campaign is Damien Symon, a top Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) analyst, who has systematically debunked each claim. His analysis revealed that Pakistan used outdated images, misrepresented routine maintenance as battle damages on Indian forces.
Adampur air base: The 'damaged Sukhoi'
Pakistani reports had claimed that a China-made JF-17 fighter jet damaged a Sukhoi Su-30 at the Indian Air Force’s Adampur air base during the four-day conflict last month.
But Symon, using satellite imagery from March 2025, two months before the hostilities, showed that the jet in question was actually a MiG-29 undergoing maintenance. The dark patches Pakistan interpreted as burn marks were consistent with soot from regular engine testing.
These claims fell flat further when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Adampur air base on May 13, three days after the conflict ended. Photos from the visit clearly showed both the MiG-29 and the S-400 air defence system unharmed and operational, directly contradicting Pakistan’s narrative.
Bhuj air base: Strike on S-400 radar
Islamabad also claimed that it had destroyed an S-400 radar unit at Bhuj air base. Symon’s review of the 'evidence' showed otherwise.
"It's likely just oil stains at Bhuj military base's vehicle service yard, also the image predates the recent Indo-Pak conflict as it was taken in February 2025," his post read.
In another manipulated image, dark patches were digitally superimposed on satellite photos of Adampur to suggest missile impact damage to the S-400 system. However, side-by-side comparisons with recent, unaltered satellite imagery showed no such signs of damage.
These false claims come in the wake of Operation Sindoor, India’s targeted military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
Launched on May 7, the operation struck terror infrastructure at nine locations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan’s Punjab province. The cross-border operation led to a brief four-day military standoff, which ended in a ceasefire understanding on May 10.