IAF Chief Confirms Major Pakistani Losses in Operation Sindoor, Calls S-400 a ‘Game-Changer’

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has, for the first time, disclosed the full scale of damage inflicted on Pakistan during the recent Operation Sindoor. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh revealed on Saturday that Indian air defence systems brought down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large surveillance aircraft during the high-intensity conflict.

“We achieved five confirmed kills, plus a larger aircraft — likely an ELINT or AEW&C platform — which was struck from roughly 300 kilometres away. That is the longest recorded surface-to-air engagement we can claim in such an operation,” Singh told reporters.

Detailing the strikes, he said an F-16 hangar at Shahbaz Jacobabad airfield was partly destroyed, with likely damage to aircraft inside. Key command-and-control hubs at Murid and Chaklala were also hit, alongside at least six radar installations. “We have strong indications that an AEW&C aircraft and several F-16s under maintenance were present at the time,” he added.

Singh said the intensity of the operation forced Pakistan to seek talks. “In just 80 to 90 hours, the damage was so severe that their DGMO reached out to ours, signalling a willingness to negotiate. We agreed,” he said.

Praising India’s recently acquired Russian-built S-400 air defence system, Singh described it as pivotal in the outcome. “It kept their aircraft out of range, preventing them from using long-range glide bombs. The system has been a true game-changer,” he asserted.

The IAF chief also presented before-and-after imagery from precision strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the Bahawalpur headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed. “Collateral damage was minimal; adjacent structures remained intact. We even obtained inside visuals through local media and onboard weapon cameras,” he said.

Operation Sindoor was launched on the night of May 6–7 in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack in Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, including that of a Nepali national. Eyewitnesses alleged that Pakistan-backed militants deliberately targeted non-Muslims.

After striking terror camps, the Indian military launched follow-up attacks on 11 Pakistani air bases between May 9 and 10. This offensive ultimately pushed Islamabad to request a ceasefire.