New Delhi: In a stunning display of air power, India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ inflicted massive losses on Pakistan during a high-intensity four-day military conflict, destroying at least nine Pakistani aircraft, over 10 drones, and multiple cruise and ballistic missiles, according to classified assessments and military sources.
The conflict, which erupted on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, was India’s swift retaliation to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 tourists. The Indian Air Force (IAF) launched precision airstrikes across key Pakistani military installations and terror hubs in both mainland Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
According to top defence sources cited by ANI, India’s strikes resulted in the downing of:
- 6 Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets during air-to-air combat
- 2 high-value aircraft, including one possibly being an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) or Electronic Warfare aircraft
- 1 C-130 transport aircraft
- More than 10 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs)
- Multiple Chinese-origin Wing Loong drones
- Several cruise missiles, intercepted mid-flight
In one long-range precision strike using India’s indigenous Sudarshan system, a Pakistani AEWC aircraft of Swedish origin stationed at Bholari airbase was neutralized from a distance of nearly 300 km.
The IAF exclusively deployed air-launched cruise missiles, avoiding the use of surface-to-surface BrahMos to maintain strategic escalation control. Strikes involving Rafale and Su-30 MKI jets successfully obliterated drone fleets and airbase hangars housing Chinese-made drones.
Despite confirmed aerial takedowns, sources report that several grounded Pakistani fighter jets might also have been destroyed. However, due to Pakistan’s refusal to clear or display wreckage from impacted bases, these additional losses remain unverified.
India’s air defence systems were also active during the operation, successfully intercepting numerous incoming Pakistani air- and ground-launched missiles aimed at Indian military bases.
In addition to crippling Pakistan’s aerial assets, the operation dealt a devastating blow to terrorist infrastructure, killing over 100 militants across PoK and other regions.
The heavy and swift retaliation reportedly forced Pakistan to request a ceasefire by May 10 afternoon, unable to sustain the escalating losses.
As per ongoing assessments by Indian defence analysts, Operation Sindoor marks one of the most effective aerial operations in recent times, sending a clear message on India’s counterterrorism resolve and military superiority.
