New Delhi: The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India’s three armed forces on Sunday held a press briefing to give updates on Operation Sindoor. During the press briefing, the Indian Armed Forces confirmed that an unspecified number of Pakistani fighter jets were downed during the recent conflict with the neighbouring country.
Notably, it is the first official statement by India over the matter in which India confirmed that several Pakistani planes were downed. While responding to a question of how many Pakistani planes were shot down, Air Marshal AK Bharti stated that the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully downed several “high-tech” Pakistani aircraft during Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory mission launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
However, the IAF officer did not disclose the exact number of Pakistani planes which were shot down during the conflict. He said that technical details would be accessed to find the exact number.
Air Marshal Bharti also stated that Pakistani planes were prevented from entering the Indian airspace.
“Their planes were prevented from entering inside our border. Definitely, we have downed a few planes.” Air Marshal Bharti stated. He further added that all the Pakistani planes which were downed were “high tech”.
The IAF officer also assured that all Indian pilots involved in the operation have returned home safely, underscoring Operation Sindoor’s success in achieving its objectives.
He noted that the IAF targeted key Pakistani military installations, including air bases, command centres, and terrorist camps across the Western Front, delivering a decisive message against aggression.
Operation Sindoor, which lasted approximately 25 minutes, involved precision strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
The operation targeted nine terror camps, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Muzaffarabad, aiming to dismantle terrorist infrastructure linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
In response, Pakistan, in a failed attempt, tried to target civilian and military installations in India on the intervening night of May 7 and 8. However, India’s air defence thwarted Pakistan’s drone and missile attack. On the night of May 9, India targeted several Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan near Rawalpindi and Rahimyar Khan.
However, on Saturday, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire.
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