Bengaluru: On Saturday, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, announced that the Indian Armed Forces had successfully destroyed at least five Pakistani fighter jets and one large aircraft during Operation Sindoor.
Speaking at an event at the HAL Management Academy, the Air Chief detailed the damage inflicted on Pakistan’s defense capabilities.
“We have confirmed kills of at least five fighter aircraft and one large aircraft, possibly an ELINT or AEW&C plane, which was engaged at a distance of around 300 kilometers. This is the largest recorded surface-to-air kill to date,” said Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.
He further elaborated on the strikes, saying, “We targeted at least two command and control centers, including Murid and Chaklala, along with six radar installations of varying sizes. Additionally, two SAGW systems located in Lahore and Okara were destroyed. We attacked three hangars — Sukkur UAV hangar, Bholari hangar, and Jacobabad F-16 hangar. There are indications of at least one AEW&C aircraft in that hangar along with several F-16s under maintenance.”
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a decisive military response to the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. The Indian Armed Forces targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Following the operation, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling along the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as attempted drone strikes along the border. In response, India launched coordinated attacks damaging radar systems, communication centers, and airfields across 11 Pakistani airbases, including the Nur Khan airbase.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 16 people have died and 59 others have been injured due to Pakistani shelling.
