Pakistan Denies IAF Claims of Downing Fighter Jets during Operation Sindoor
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has refuted claims by the Indian Air Force (IAF) regarding the destruction of Pakistani aircraft during Operation Sindoor. Asif stated that "not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed," countering the Indian assertion.
The defence minister's response followed statements by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who reported that Indian forces had eliminated "at least five fighters" and a large aircraft, possibly an Airborne Warning and Control (AWC) system, from a distance of approximately 300 kilometres. Singh described the event as "the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill" and noted that several drones, UAVs, and missiles from Pakistan had landed in Indian territory during the operation.
In a social media message, Asif criticized the IAF's claims as "implausible" and poorly timed. He emphasized that Pakistan had promptly provided technical briefings to the international media following the conflict. Asif accused India of making the claims to distract from what he described as "disproportionately heavier" Indian losses along the Line of Control.
Asif suggested that both countries allow for independent verification of their aircraft inventories, though he expressed doubt that India would agree, implying it could reveal the truth they wish to conceal. He cautioned that any breach of Pakistan's sovereignty would lead to a "swift, surefire and proportionate response."
Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 as a response by India to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the death of 26 civilians. The operation targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The conflict concluded on May 10 after four days of cross-border drone and missile exchanges.
