Indian Air Force Confirms Downing Multiple Pakistani F-16 Jets During Operation Sindoor

A US-made Pak F-16 fighter jet (File).

New Delhi:

The Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, confirmed on Friday that India successfully shot down four to five Pakistani fighter jets, including US-manufactured F-16s and Chinese JF-17s, during Operation Sindoor. This statement elaborates on his earlier comments from August.

Previously, the Air Force had reported that six aircraft – five fighter jets and one larger aircraft, likely an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) plane – were destroyed in mid-air strikes conducted by Indian forces.

During today's press conference, the Air Chief Marshal stated that the Indian military possesses evidence of at least one long-range strike on an AEW&C aircraft and four to five strikes on fighter jets during the operation.

He further explained that Indian precision missiles successfully disabled multiple Pakistani military assets, including radar systems, Command & Control centers, runways, hangars, and other critical infrastructure. A C-130 class aircraft, an American-made military transport plane known as 'Hercules,' may have also been struck.

"Regarding Pakistan's losses, we struck numerous airfields and installations. These strikes damaged radars at four locations, Command & Control centers at two places, and runways at two locations. Additionally, three hangars at different air bases were damaged," he reported during a Delhi press conference.

"One SAM (surface-to-air missile) system was destroyed. We have evidence of one long-range strike at more than 300 km targeting an AEW&C or other significant aircraft, plus five fighters, likely F-16s or JF-17s. This is what our systems indicate," he added.

In August, the Air Force made its first comprehensive statement since the Operation Sindoor ceasefire, confirming extensive damage to Pakistani military assets. Besides the six aircraft shot down mid-air, Indian missile strikes also targeted Pakistani Air Force bases, specifically at Jacobabad and Bholari.

An unspecified number of F-16s and at least one additional AEW&C aircraft that were grounded due to operational reasons were destroyed in these strikes, according to the Air Force's earlier statement.

"We have five confirmed kills and one large aircraft, either ELINT (Electronic Intelligence airborne platform) or AEW&C, which was taken out at a distance of 300 km. This represents the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill we can discuss," the Air Chief had stated at a Bengaluru event.

Air Chief Marshal Singh also commended India's robust air defense system, which effectively countered a barrage of Pakistani missiles and drones targeting both Indian military installations and civilian centers.

India's offensive capabilities, coupled with protection from advanced missile defense systems like the Russian-made S-400, "inflicted such significant damage that Pakistan realized continuing the conflict would result in further losses," according to the Air Force chief.

Addressing Pakistan's claims of downing Indian aircraft, including allegedly a newly-purchased Rafale, the Air Chief Marshal firmly dismissed these assertions as propaganda designed to mislead Pakistani citizens.

While Pakistan maintains it shot down six Indian military aircraft including a Rafale, the Pakistani government has yet to provide any evidence supporting this claim.

The Air Force chief also revealed that Pakistan had requested the ceasefire, reinforcing the Indian government's position that hostilities ended on May 10 because Islamabad sued for peace, not due to intervention by US President Donald Trump.

He emphasized that the world witnessed the power and precision of the Indian military as it targeted and neutralized nine terror camps and bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the terror attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

"During Operation Sindoor, terrorists paid the price for killing innocent people, and the world saw we achieved our objective. After we struck targets across 300 km, Pakistan requested a ceasefire," he stated, also praising India's air defense systems for successfully repelling or destroying Pakistani missiles and drones throughout the nearly 100-hour conflict.

Over the past four months, Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for the ceasefire, making such assertions even at the United Nations General Assembly.

He reiterated this claim on Wednesday while addressing American military officials: "I had India and Pakistan, they were going at it. And I called them both, and in this case, I used trade," he boasted.

India has consistently maintained that neither the US nor any third party played a role in de-escalating Operation Sindoor. The government has emphasized that the ceasefire resulted solely from Pakistan's request.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed this position directly to Trump during a phone call on June 17/18, and the Air Force chief's comments today further reinforce the government's stance.

Operation Sindoor was India's military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly civilians, marking the worst such attack in decades. India identified Islamabad's involvement in the attack, carried out by an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Indian government publicly denounced Pakistan's continued support for cross-border terrorism.

Before taking action, the government presented evidence to the international community and then acted on verified intelligence to strike known terrorist camps and bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Nine such facilities were neutralized, including the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, the latter responsible for the 2019 Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir.