The Indian Air Force (IAF) shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one large military aircraft, likely an AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) or ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) surveillance plane, during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
This has been officially confirmed by Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, describing this act as the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill by India.
The operation involved precision strikes on multiple Pakistani military targets including airbases, command and control centres, radars, hangars, and other terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The large aircraft was engaged at a distance of about 300 kilometres, showcasing the technological capability of India’s air defence systems, notably the Russian-made S-400 missile system which played a key role in preventing Pakistani aerial retaliation and penetration into Indian airspace.
Operation Sindoor was launched as a swift and calibrated military response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, where 26 civilians were killed.
The IAF targeted terror infrastructure associated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The operation destroyed a significant number of UAVs (drones), missiles, radar installations, and command centres including those at Murid and Chaklala, along with large damage to notable airbases such as Shahbaz Jacobabad, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Bholari, and Jacobabad.
The destroyed hangars included ones housing F-16 jets that were under maintenance, reflecting a strategic blow to Pakistan’s air capabilities.
The Air Chief Marshal highlighted that the operation had full political backing with no restrictions imposed on military strategy and execution from the Indian government. The role of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was important in coordinating inter-service and inter-agency efforts.
The operation underscored the primacy of air warfare as a rapid and precise response to cross-border terrorism, emphasising minimal collateral damage while achieving strategic objectives.
Singh also recalled a personal milestone, mentioning the symbolic significance of targeting the Sargodha airbase, a key Pakistani air force hub, which was a long-held aspiration within the Indian Air Force before his retirement.
During Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces released very high-resolution satellite images showing extensive damage to multiple Pakistani airbases and terror infrastructure. These images provide clear visual evidence of India’s precision strikes on key military facilities across Pakistan, including airbases at Sukkur, Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Rahim Yar Khan, Mushaf (Sargodha), Jacobabad, Bholari, and Murid, as well as radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot. The before-and-after satellite pictures reveal craters on runways, destroyed aircraft hangars, damaged administrative and store buildings, and roof collapses at command-and-control sites near unmanned aerial vehicle hangars.
Particularly notable damage was visible at the Murid air base, where a three-meter-wide crater was identified very close to an underground facility protected by heavy security, suggesting the high strategic value of the target. The images also reveal holes on the roof of buildings that indicate the impact of missile or drone strikes on vital military infrastructure.
These satellite visuals confirmed the scale and accuracy of India’s strikes that targeted terror infrastructure linked to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and hit multiple military airbases, command centres, radar installations, and UAV complexes. Some of these airbases included those housing F-16 jets and advanced surveillance aircraft, consistent with the claims of shooting down Pakistani fighter jets and large military aircraft during the operation.
The satellite imagery released publicly underlines the extent of damage caused by Operation Sindoor and corroborates the Indian Air Chief Marshal’s statements about the precision and impact of the strikes within Pakistani military installations.
Operation Sindoor was a decisive four-day military engagement that significantly degraded Pakistan’s aerial combat and surveillance capabilities, delivered a strong retaliatory message against terrorism, and demonstrated India’s advanced air defence readiness and political-military cohesion.
Agencies
