Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly denied that any Pakistani military aircraft were hit or destroyed by Indian forces during the recent conflict known as Operation Sindoor.
He described the Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh’s claims of shooting down five Pakistani fighter jets and one large aircraft as “implausible” and “ill-timed.”
Asif asserted that Pakistan had for three months presented detailed technical briefings to international media, whereas India only recently made these claims, which he suggested were attempts to obscure the reality of the conflict.
He argued that the losses suffered by Indian forces along the Line of Control were disproportionately heavier. Asif challenged both countries to open their aircraft inventories for independent verification, suspecting that doing so would expose the truth of Indian losses and Pakistani claims.
In contrast, Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh stated that the IAF had confirmed killing at least five Pakistani fighter jets and downing a large aircraft, possibly a surveillance plane, at a distance of around 300 kilometres using the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system.
The operation also reportedly led to large numbers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and missiles falling into Indian territory
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Further, Asif claimed that Pakistan had destroyed six Indian jets, S-400 air defence batteries, and unmanned aircraft during the conflict, and had put several Indian airbases out of action, underscoring a narrative of heavier Indian losses in comparison.
The conflict itself was a swift four-day intense military engagement starting on May 7, 2025, launched by India targeting terror infrastructure on the Pakistani side as retaliation for the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians. It concluded with an understanding on May 10 to end hostilities.
Asif also warned that every violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would elicit a “swift, sure-fire and proportionate response” and cautioned against falsehoods from either side that could spiral into strategic miscalculations in the region’s nuclear environment.
Pakistan firmly denies losing any aircraft and accuses India of exaggeration for political purposes, India maintains that it successfully conducted significant air strikes resulting in Pakistani aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan had begged India’s DGMO for an immediate cessation of the devastating attacks soon after the crippling BrahMos cruise missile attacks on several Pakistani air bases, eventually, India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Based On A PTI Report
