Operation Sindoor: IAF chief says India shot down 5 Pakistani jets; calls S-400 game changer

NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Amar Preet Singh on Saturday said the forces shot down five Pakistani jets during the Operation Sindoor.Singh, while speaking at the Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, said the IAF downed five Pakistan Air Force fighter jets and one airborne early warning and control (AEW&C)/electronic intelligence aircraft.

The IAF chief’s remark is the first confirmation from any high-ranking official of the number of Pakistani jets India damaged during its cross-border anti-terror operation."We have five confirmed kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT aircraft or an AEW &C aircraft, which was taken on at a distance of about 300 kilometres. This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about," the Air Force chief said.He also said that India's air defence systems did a wonderful job and praised the S-400 system, calling it a game-changer."Our air defence systems have done a wonderful job. The S-400 system, which we had recently bought, has been a game-changer. The range of that system has really kept their aircraft away from their weapons like, those long-range glide bombs that they have, they have not been able to use any one of those because they have not been able to penetrate the system," the IAF chief said.

He said that India's long-range, accurate weapons were used in the operation, and special emphasis was given to avoid civilian casualties.Showing the before and after images of the damage India caused at Bahawalpur, where the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed's headquarters are located, Singh said: "There's hardly any collateral here... The adjacent buildings are fairly intact... Not only did we have satellite pictures, but also from local media, through which we could get inside pictures."