Indian air force chief claims to have shot down six Pakistani aircraft

After maintaining silence on inflicting any substantial losses on Pakistan during its military offensive in May, Indian Air Chief AP Singh has now claimed that the Indian Air Force sh0t down six Pakistani aircraft. 

The statement comes three months after the four-day conflict between the two countries.

The Indian military had faced embarrassment at international level for suffering heavy losses at the hands of Pakistan, with no official previously able to claim comparable damage inflicted on Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference, AP Singh shared details of the so-called “Operation Sindoor” against Pakistan, stating, “We have at least five fighters confirmed k!lls and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT aircraft or an AEW&C aircraft, which was taken on at a distance of about 300 kilometres. This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air k!ll that we can talk about.”

It is pertinent to note that several international media outlets, and even US President Donald Trump had confirmed that Pakistan sh0t down Indian fighter jets before any Indian official made such a claim about Pakistan’s losses.

To date, no independent or international outlet has confirmed Pakistan’s alleged aircraft losses to India.

Read more: India's narrative crumbles as Trump says up to five Indian jets were downed by Pakistan

Indian officials have acknowledged on several occasions in press conferences and media interviews that Pakistan had successfully targeted Indian Rafale jets.

The Indian government has also confirmed the deaths of its personnel, announcing posthumous military honors for several soldiers, including four pilots, three of whom were operating Rafale fighter jets during the conflict.

Indian Defence Attache Captain Shiv Kumar admitted that the Indian Air Force “did lose some aircraft” on the night of what he described as unprovoked Indian strikes on civilian areas inside Pakistan.

India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, also acknowledged in an interview with Bloomberg that Pakistan had shot down Indian jets. However, he refrained from specifying the exact number.

When asked directly if Pakistani forces had downed Indian aircraft, he first acknowledged the loss but quickly redirected attention to operational matters, saying, “I think the jet being downed is not important, but why it was downed. The good part is that we were able to identify the tactical mistake we made, correct it, and later flew our jets again, this time with long-range targeting.”

Also check: Indian defence chief admits strategic failure in Op Sindoor, urges shift to modern weapons

Earlier in April, an attack in the Pahalgam area of Indian-occupied Kashmir left 26 people dead. India quickly blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing any evidence. Pakistan strongly rejected the accusation and offered full cooperation in an independent investigation.

While the United States condemned the Pahalgam attack, it notably refrained from endorsing India’s claim that Pakistan was behind the incident.

On May 7, tensions escalated into a full-scale confrontation when India initiated military aggression against Pakistan. Pakistan retaliated with force and shot down five Indian aircraft, including Rafale jets. India has so far avoided confirming these losses.

The brief but intense conflict saw the use of fighter jets, drones, and heavy artillery from both sides, resulting in significant Indian losses. Eventually, India sought US intervention and signaled willingness for a ceasefire.

President Trump took credit for mediating the ceasefire, claiming that his communication with the leadership of both nations led to the de-escalation.

According to Trump, a truce was reached on May 10 after he warned both countries that the US would halt trade relations if they did not agree to cease hostilities.