9 Pakistani Aircraft Were Destroyed In Operation Sindoor Strikes: Sources
New Delhi:
Six Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets, two high-value surveillance aircraft, over ten armed drones, and a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft were destroyed in Operation Sindoor, India's retaliatory military action following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.
According to sources, a post-conflict assessment of the military engagement in early May has revealed heavy damage to Pakistani aerial and ground military assets. The six PAF fighter jets were downed during aerial operations. These aircraft were engaged and destroyed in air-to-air combat as part of the retaliatory response by Indian air defence units. The engagements occurred within Pakistani Punjab and parts of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
The downing of these jets, according to sources, was confirmed via radar tracking and thermal signatures captured by Indian ground-based missile systems and airborne early warning assets. The Pakistani aircraft vanished from tracking grids after impact confirmations, sources said.
NDTV first reported it on Monday, which can be watched here:
Here's a breakdown of the Pakistani assets destroyed in Operation Sindoor:
Two High-Value Surveillance Aircraft Neutralised
One of the key hits during the four-day engagement was the destruction of a high-value airborne surveillance platform. According to sources, the target was either an electronic countermeasure (ECM) platform or an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, neutralised at an estimated range of 300 kilometres using India's long-range strike asset, the Sudarshan.
Another AEW&C aircraft of Swedish origin, reportedly stationed at Pakistan's Bholari airbase, was destroyed during a subsequent air-to-surface cruise missile strike.
Satellite imagery showed the complete destruction of the hangar housing the aircraft.
C-130 Hercules Destroyed
In a separate operation, a PAF C-130 Hercules was destroyed during a targeted drone strike over Pakistani Punjab. The C-130 was being used for logistical support and was parked at a forward operating base near Multan when the drone strike occurred, sources said.
The IAF also undertook precision strikes against unmanned systems. During an operation involving Rafale and Su-30 jets, a hangar housing multiple Chinese-origin Wing Loong series medium-altitude, long-endurance drones was destroyed. According to sources, over ten UCAVs were destroyed in this single strike.
Additionally, Indian air defence units intercepted and downed several Pakistani UCAVs over Indian airspace during the conflict, particularly over sectors in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.
India's Strike Depth
A previously undisclosed Pakistani military dossier on Operation Bunyan un Marsoos, Islamabad's codename for its military operation, has surfaced, revealing that India struck at least seven more targets than acknowledged in official Indian statements.
According to maps and data in the dossier, Indian airstrikes targeted facilities in Peshawar, Jhang, Hyderabad (Sindh), Gujrat (Punjab), Bahawalnagar, Attock, and Chor.
The additional strike locations, all of which host key Pakistani military or dual-use infrastructure, confirm that Indian air operations reached far deeper into Pakistani territory than previously known.
India's military response began on the night of May 6-7 with coordinated strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistani Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Nine key targets were identified, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur, Lashkar-e-Taiba's camp in Muridke, and facilities in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bhimber, and Chakwal.
Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies confirmed substantial damage to several of these locations, particularly the training camps in PoJK. Indian officials maintain that the initial strikes were confined to anti-terror operations and did not target Pakistani military establishments until Pakistan initiated cross-border drone and missile strikes on Indian civilian and military locations on May 8.
Following India's initial strikes, Pakistan launched drones and ballistic projectiles toward India's western frontier. Civilian targets in Rajasthan and military installations in Jammu and Gujarat were among those hit.
In response, India widened its offensive to include 11 Pakistani air bases: Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari, and Jacobabad.
Ceasefire and Aftermath
On the afternoon of May 10, following intense diplomatic pressure and battlefield setbacks, Pakistan's DGMO, Major General Kashif Abdullah, contacted his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, requesting an immediate ceasefire.
Subsequently, India agreed to halt military operations but reiterated that retaliatory action would resume if provoked.
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