The Indian Air Force (IAF) has once again asserted that it shot down five Pakistani fighter jets during Operation Sindoor, which took place in May. The statement was reiterated by Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, during the 93rd Air Force Day celebrations, just days after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made misleading claims about the operation during his address at the United Nations.
India Claims Major Success Under Operation Sindoor
According to the IAF Chief, India successfully destroyed critical Pakistani air bases and military installations, causing significant damage to their radars, command centres, hangars, and runways. “We have signs of one C-130 class of aircraft…and at least 4 to 5 fighter aircraft, most likely F-16, because that place happened to be F-16 with whatever was under maintenance at that time,” he said.
He further confirmed that Indian forces carried out a long-range strike over 300 km away, possibly downing either an AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) or SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) aircraft, along with “five high-tech fighters between F-16 and JF-17 class”.
IAF Chief Mocks Pakistan’s Counter Claims
Taking a dig at Pakistan’s version of events, Singh dismissed their assertions of downing Indian jets as nothing more than “manohar kahaniyan (fascinating tales)”.“If they think they downed our 15 jets, I hope they are convinced about it and they will cater for 15 less aircraft in my inventory when they come to fight again,” he joked.
He also pointed out that while India released clear photographic evidence of its strikes, Pakistan failed to produce any proof to support its claims. “We showed so many pictures of their places. However, they couldn’t show us even a single picture. So their narrative is ‘Manohar Kahaniyan’. Let them be happy… That doesn’t matter to me,” he added.
#WATCH | Delhi: On Operation Sindoor, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh says, “…A clear directive, clear mandate was given to the Indian Armed Forces… It stands as a lesson which will go down in history that this is one war that was started with a… pic.twitter.com/FJuEpFdVQi
— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2025
Previous Confirmation and Pakistan’s UN Claim
This is not the first time the IAF has confirmed the downing of Pakistani jets. In August, Air Chief Marshal Singh had said the same aircraft were taken out using the S-400 air defence system.
His remarks come shortly after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif claimed at the UN General Assembly that “seven of the Indian jets turned to scrap and dust” at the hands of Pakistani pilots.
India’s Rebuttal at the UN
India’s First Secretary to the UN, Petal Gahlot, responded sharply to Pakistan’s statement, saying: “If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangars look like victory, as the prime minister claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it.”
What Was Operation Sindoor?
Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, nearly two weeks after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The mission targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), reportedly eliminating over 100 terrorists.
Also Read: Bareilly on High Alert: Security Tightened Ahead of Friday Prayers Amid ‘I Love Muhammad’ Row
