In a significant escalation following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives on April 26, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, delivering a heavy blow to the Pakistan Air Force during four days of intense military engagement. According to a report by India Today, citing officials involved in the mission, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully destroyed six Pakistani fighter jets, two key surveillance aircraft, a C-130 transport aircraft, over 30 missiles, and several unmanned aerial systems.
As per sources, technical analysis of operational data confirmed that six Pakistani fighter jets were downed during the IAF’s precision strikes on Pakistani air bases. Among the destroyed aircraft was a critical platform, believed to be either an electronic warfare aircraft or an airborne early warning and control system, which was struck from a distance of 300 km using the Sudarshan missile system.
In a separate strike, a Swedish-made air-to-ground cruise missile was used to attack the Bholari air base, reportedly downing another aircraft. Intelligence inputs indicated that additional fighter jets may have been stationed inside the hangars at the time of the attack. However, the full extent of the damage remains unclear, as Pakistan has yet to remove the debris from the site.
Visual evidence captured by the IAF’s radar and missile defence systems confirmed the disappearance of Pakistani fighter jets from radar screens following the strikes. A Pakistani C-130 transport aircraft was also reportedly destroyed in a drone strike conducted by the IAF in Pakistan’s Punjab region.
Sources indicated that the Indian Air Force primarily employed air-launched cruise missiles for its strikes on Pakistani air bases and did not deploy ground-launched BrahMos missiles during the operation.
In a major coordinated assault, Indian Rafale and Su-30 fighter jets targeted and destroyed a large stockpile of Chinese-made Wing Loong drones housed in a Pakistani hangar. Indian air defence systems also intercepted and neutralised over ten Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicles during the conflict. Additionally, several air, land-based cruise, and ballistic missiles launched by Pakistan towards Indian air bases were successfully intercepted and destroyed.
Operation Sindoor began with the destruction of terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the April 26 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The operation subsequently escalated into widespread shelling and drone and missile attacks from Pakistan targeting civilian areas along the border. India responded with strikes on strategic Pakistani air bases.
The clashes concluded with a ‘stoppage of firing and military action’ on May 10, at Pakistan’s request. The Indian Air Force continues to analyse the substantial volume of operational data gathered during the mission.
