In a recent press briefing, Air Marshal AK Bharti confirmed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully repelled an intrusion by Pakistani fighter jets, which were attempting to breach Indian airspace in response to India's counterterror operations under 'Operation Sindoor'. Air Marshal Bharti stated that the IAF inflicted losses on the Pakistani side, downing "a few planes". He emphasized the IAF's strategy to "strike where it would hurt," which involved targeting key Pakistani airbases.
The escalating tensions between India and Pakistan follow India's intensified counterterror operations, named 'Operation Sindoor'. This operation was launched in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives and was allegedly backed by Pakistani forces. Prior to the IAF's recent actions, Pakistan targeted multiple locations within India using drones. However, the Indian air defense systems successfully intercepted and shot down many of these drones using advanced anti-drone technology. According to military sources, Pakistan's army also attempted to breach the Line of Control (LoC) and International Borders, but these attempts were thwarted by India, which shot down over 50 swarm drones.
Just before a ceasefire agreement was announced, India launched a counter-offensive, targeting nine airbases and two radar sites in Pakistan. This was in response to Pakistan's earlier missile and drone strikes on Indian military installations. Pakistan had initiated Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos, deploying F-16s, JF-17s, and precision munitions across more than 26 Indian locations, causing limited damage. In retaliation, India executed Operation Sindoor, which caused extensive damage to key Pakistani military infrastructure using BrahMos, Scalp, and Spice-2000 missiles.
Despite the agreement between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan to implement a ceasefire, tensions remained high due to reported violations by Pakistan. According to reports, Pakistan breached the ceasefire agreement by initiating firing in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir and deploying drones along the border.
Amidst these developments, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the losses of fighter jets on both sides. While India has claimed to have downed Pakistani planes, Pakistan has claimed to have shot down five Indian Air Force jets, including three French-made Rafales. These claims by Pakistan also allege that the jets were targeted from within Pakistani airspace in retaliation for earlier Indian airstrikes, which they say resulted in the deaths of civilians. However, India has not officially confirmed or denied these claims.
Some reports suggest that India may have lost two fighter jets, possibly including a Rafale and a Mirage 2000, during attacks in Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Visual evidence has been cited to support these claims, though the cause of the crashes remains unclear.
Air Marshal Bharti assured that “all our pilots are back home”. He also stated, "Their planes were prevented from entering inside our border... Definitely, we have downed a few planes... Definitely, there are losses on their side which we have inflicted".
