India used civilian flights as human shields during Op Sindoor, reveals OSINT
Violation of Geneva Conventions, Rome Statute confirmed through flight data
Islamabad: Open-source intelligence has exposed India’s deliberate use of international civilian flights as human shields during Operation Sindoor, conducted by the Indian Air Force in May 2025—placing hundreds of lives at risk and violating international humanitarian law.
According to Kashmir Media Service, OSINT analysts and aviation experts observed that flight logs and satellite data confirm that multiple civilian flights—operated by Thai Airways, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, China Southern, and others—were deliberately rerouted into high-risk airspace near the Pakistan-India border during active IAF strikes on May 7. This pattern directly overlapped with Indian military operations and was abruptly reversed after the strikes ended, proving coordinated use of civilian aircraft to deter retaliatory action by Pakistan.
A timeline reconstruction shows that between 00:10 and 00:35 PST, these civilian airliners flew dangerously close to Indian strike zones. Pakistan Air Force briefings later confirmed that at least 57 commercial flights were present in or near conflict areas, with flight paths aligning with IAF targets. This calculated maneuver violated Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions and Article 8 of the Rome Statute, both of which prohibit using civilians to shield military operations.
The Pakistan Army’s DGISPR warned that had Pakistan responded without restraint, it could have resulted in catastrophic civilian casualties. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and UN rights bodies have been urged to investigate the incident and hold India accountable for endangering international passengers and breaching war conduct norms.
The deliberate exploitation of civilian airspace reflects a new low in India’s militarist strategy, underscoring the Modi regime’s reckless disregard for international law and human life.
