IAF inflicted major damage on Pakistan during recent conflict; 6 Pak fighter jets, one C-130 aircraft, multiple cruise missiles, UAVs destroyed
PTC Web Desk: In the aftermath of the recent four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan, emerging assessments reveal that the Indian Air Force (IAF) inflicted substantial damage on the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), with at least six fighter jets, two high-value surveillance aircraft, over 10 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), a C-130 transport aircraft, and multiple cruise missiles confirmed destroyed.
According to high-level sources directly involved in the operation, technical analysis conducted by the IAF confirms that six PAF fighter jets were shot down mid-air during active engagements. Additionally, one high-value aerial platform—possibly an electronic warfare or Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft—was neutralised in a long-range precision strike using the Sudarshan missile at an approximate range of 300 km.
The Bholari airbase in southern Pakistan was also targeted using air-to-surface cruise missiles, resulting in the confirmed destruction of another AEW&C aircraft, believed to be of Swedish origin. Intelligence inputs suggest the presence of additional fighter aircraft inside hangars at the site; however, due to lack of visual confirmation and Pakistan’s refusal to clear debris, those losses remain unaccounted.
Indian surveillance and missile tracking systems recorded PAF fighter jets disappearing from radar after successful hits were delivered by Indian air defence systems.
During the conflict, the Pakistan Air Force also lost a C-130 military transport aircraft in a drone strike conducted by the IAF in Pakistani Punjab.
Notably, the Indian Air Force executed all strikes using only air-launched cruise missiles. No surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles were employed, as per official inputs. Among the most significant strikes was one conducted by a combined formation of Rafale and Su-30 fighter jets, which destroyed a substantial number of Chinese-origin Wing Loong series medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drones housed in a hangar.
Furthermore, Indian air defence systems successfully eliminated more than 10 Pakistani UCAVs over hostile airspace and intercepted numerous air and ground-launched Pakistani cruise and ballistic missiles aimed at Indian bases.
The IAF continues to analyse the vast quantity of operational data collected during the conflict, which broke out on the night of May 6–7. The escalation was a direct response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, prompting India to target militant infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistani Punjab.
The hostilities concluded by the afternoon of May 10, when Pakistan, facing severe losses in both aerial and ground assets, requested a ceasefire.
- ANI
