New Delhi: Pakistan’s fighter jets, including US-made F-16s and Chinese J-17s, were destroyed by India during Operation Sindoor, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said on Friday. He dismissed claims that Indian jets were shot down, calling them propaganda by the Pakistan Army aimed at misleading its citizens.
The Air Force chief stated that Pakistan had requested a ceasefire, reiterating the government’s position that the cessation of hostilities on May 10 resulted from Islamabad seeking peace, rather than intervention by former US President Donald Trump.
“During Operation Sindoor, the terrorists paid the price for killing innocent people, and the world saw that we achieved our goal. We struck targets across 300 km, after which Pakistan asked for a ceasefire,” he said. Singh also praised India’s air defence systems for successfully intercepting Pakistani missiles and drones during the nearly 100-hour conflict.
The operation targeted and neutralised nine terror camps and bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, showcasing the precision and strength of the Indian military, the Air Force chief noted.
Over the past months, Trump had claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire, including statements at the UN General Assembly and in meetings with global leaders. Singh refuted this, emphasizing that the ceasefire was sought by Pakistan itself.
Highlighting the changing nature of warfare, the Air Force chief cautioned that future conflicts would differ from past ones, underlining the need for preparedness. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh echoed this view last month, stating that modern warfare is now shaped by cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, drones, satellite surveillance, precision-guided weapons, and real-time intelligence, rather than sheer numbers or stockpiles of weapons.
