Our Air Defence systems did a wonderful job, said IAF Chief

Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Saturday confirmed that the IAF brought down 5 Pakistani fighter jets during Operation Sindoor. India carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the deadliest Pahalgaam terror attack, wherein a few gunmen opened fire on tourists, leaving 26 of them dead. 

While addressing an event in Bengaluru on Saturday, the Indian Air Force chief said that the Indian Air Force carried out successful strikes using the S-400 air defence system. The Indian forces also destroyed a large airborne early warning aircraft, which was said to be either an AEW&C or ELINT platform, at a range of approximately 300 kilometres, said Singh, adding that it was the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill.

He further detailed the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor and said that one AEW&C-type aircraft was neutralised, half of the F-16 hangar at Pakistan’s Shahbaz Jacobabad airbase was gone, with possible destruction to the aircraft inside. 

“After the attacks, we informed Pakistan DGMO that we have no military aspirations, only terror targets, but he did not agree, so we were cautious,” he said, adding that “We decided if they attack any of our military installation, then we are going to reply by attacking their military installation which matter to them. This point was debated. Their aircraft tried to penetrate our defences. Our Air Defence systems did a wonderful job. Here, S-400 was a game-changer.”