Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Saturday confirmed that the Indian Armed Forces destroyed at least five Pakistani fighter jets and one large aircraft during Operation Sindoor, marking one of the largest recorded surface-to-air kills in military history.
Speaking at an event at the HAL Management Academy, the Air Chief detailed the extensive damage inflicted on Pakistan’s defence infrastructure. “We have at least five fighters confirmed kills and one large aircraft — possibly an ELINT or AEW&C — taken out at around 300 kilometres, which is the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill we can talk about,” he said.
Singh further revealed that Indian forces destroyed two major command and control centres — Murid and Chaklala — along with at least six radars, two surface-to-air guided weapon systems in Lahore and Okara, and three aircraft hangars. These included the Sukkur UAV hangar, the Bholari hangar, and the Jacobabad F-16 hangar, which housed an AEW&C aircraft and multiple F-16s under maintenance.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was India’s decisive response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The offensive targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, killing over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and attempted drone strikes, prompting India’s coordinated strikes on radar systems, communication hubs, and airfields across 11 enemy bases, including the Nur Khan air base.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Pakistani shelling has so far killed 16 people and injured 59 others on the Indian side.
