Downed 6 Pakistani aircraft at a range of 300 km in Op Sindoor: IAF Chief

Bengaluru: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has revealed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) shot down six Pakistani aircraft, including five fighter jets and a high-value AWACS surveillance plane, during Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

Speaking at the Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, Singh shared satellite imagery and intelligence inputs showing the precision strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Bahawalpur headquarters and other terror infrastructure.

“These are before-and-after images of the damage we caused at Bahawalpur. There’s hardly any collateral — the adjacent buildings are intact,” he said.

The IAF chief confirmed five fighter kills and the destruction of a large surveillance aircraft at a range of about 300 km — “the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill we can talk about.”

Over four days, the operation targeted nine terror camps across Pakistan and PoK, killing over 100 militants. Key Pakistani airbases, including Bholari and Rahim Yar Khan, were also struck.

Singh credited the Russian-origin S-400 air defence system for keeping Pakistani aircraft at bay and neutralising the AWACS. “They haven’t been able to use long-range glide bombs because they could not penetrate our defences,” he said.

The strikes combined BrahMos cruise missiles, loitering munitions, advanced drones, and electronic warfare assets, with Army and Navy support. The precision campaign forced Pakistan to seek a ceasefire.

“Operation Sindoor was not just retaliation — it was about precision, professionalism, and purpose,” Singh said.
(With IANS inputs)