Two Turkish military operatives were killed as part of Operation Sindoor, which reveals that Turkey not only helped Pakistan in its war against India with over 350 drones, but also with operators, sources told media.
According to sources, Turkish advisors helped Pakistani Army officials coordinate drone attacks on India after Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan has reportedly used Bayraktar TB2 and YIHA drones against India. The drones are believed to be used for target designation, and potentially kamikaze strikes, especially to threaten forward Indian positions or supply convoys.
Turkey's strategic defence ties with Pakistan have grown at an alarming rate in recent years. The Turkish government has not only supplied critical military hardware but has also conducted training for Pakistan's army.
In fact, the 'Boycott Turkey' movement gained momentum due to Ankara's growing proximity to Islamabad, which, in turn, harmed Indian interests -- as seen in the recently concluded conflict between South Asian neighbours.
Experts believe that the expansion of Indian exports to Turkey following Covid-19 has helped Turkey ramp up its defence production.
On the intervening nights of May 7 and 8, the Pakistan Army used around 300–400 drones to target Indian military infrastructure along the northern and western borders.
"Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones," Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said in a press briefing on Operation Sindoor.
"The Indian armed forces shot down many of these dones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence," Colonel Qureshi added.
India on Wednesday blocked access to Turkish news outlet TRT on microblogging platform X over Ankara's military support to Islamabad in its recently-concluded four-day conflict with Delhi. In a press briefing on Operation Sindoor, the Army said that Pakistan had used Turkish-made drones to target military infrastructure in 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek.
Earlier in the day, India blocked the social media accounts of state-run Chinese media outlets -- Xinhua and Global Times -- for spreading misinformation and Pakistani propaganda, despite repeated warnings from the Indian Embassy in China.
Source: India Today