India Claims Downing Six Pakistani Aircraft

In a major announcement, India's air force chief, Amar Preet Singh, stated on Saturday that the country's military shot down six Pakistani aircraft during a conflict in May. This is the first time an Indian official has publicly confirmed the number of Pakistani planes downed during the fighting.

REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Details of the Operation

According to Air Force Chief Singh, the Indian military's air defense systems, primarily the Russian-made S-400, were responsible for the successful strikes. He confirmed that five fighter jets and one large surveillance aircraft were destroyed. The large aircraft was reportedly taken down from an impressive distance of 300 kilometers (186 miles), which Singh called the "largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill."

Strikes on Pakistani Airbases

Singh also revealed that Indian airstrikes damaged key Pakistani military locations. He mentioned that an additional surveillance plane and "a few F-16" fighter jets were hit while inside hangars at two airbases in southeastern Pakistan. Satellite images and electronic tracking data were cited as evidence of these strikes.

Pakistan's Response

Pakistan's government has previously denied that India shot down any of its aircraft during the conflict. Pakistan's air force mainly uses Chinese-made jets and US F-16s. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan following this new statement from the Indian air force chief.