IAF Downed Pak Jets, Targeted Key Bases: Air Marshal Bharti
In a powerful revelation that underscores the scale and precision of Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal AK Bharti confirmed that the Indian Air Force not only thwarted Pakistani attempts to breach Indian airspace but also struck deep into enemy territory, inflicting significant damage on key Pakistani airbases.
Speaking at a joint media briefing of senior defence officials on Sunday, Air Marshal Bharti stated that following India’s cross-border precision strikes on terror hubs, Pakistan responded with an attempted aerial incursion. However, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was fully prepared. “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,” he said.
‘Decided to Strike Where It Would Hurt’: IAF Strategy Unveiled
Air Marshal Bharti outlined the deliberate and targeted nature of India’s response. “Decided to strike where it would hurt,” he said, explaining that strategic Pakistani airbases were specifically chosen to degrade their ability to coordinate further attacks or support terror infrastructure. This included both air defence installations and aircraft-ready shelters suspected of harbouring offensive capabilities.
All Indian pilots involved in the operations have returned safely, Bharti confirmed, praising their discipline, training, and the success of coordinated intelligence between the Air Force and ground commands. The operation was carefully calibrated to avoid civilian areas while delivering a decisive blow to Pakistan’s military capacity.
Air Superiority Asserted Amid Escalating Tensions
The attempted Pakistani incursion, believed to be a retaliatory maneuver to save face after India’s May 7 strikes on nine terror launchpads, was met with robust air defence responses. IAF’s successful intercepts and aerial engagements reasserted India’s air dominance in the region and reaffirmed its capacity to neutralize any threat swiftly and decisively.
Defence analysts have noted that this engagement marks the first known aerial dogfight in the subcontinent since the 2019 Balakot and ensuing aerial skirmishes. With confirmed Pakistani losses and India’s air superiority undented, the encounter has reshaped the aerial balance and raised the cost for any further adventurism from across the border.
Operation Sindoor Widens Tactical Scope
The air operations form a critical layer of Operation Sindoor, which began in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian civilians. With confirmed kills of over 100 terrorists, including masterminds of the IC-814 hijack and Pulwama attack, and now direct hits on Pakistani military assets, Operation Sindoor reflects a multidimensional doctrine of offensive deterrence.
India’s armed forces, as reiterated by both Army and Air Force leadership, remain on high alert with standing authorizations to respond fiercely to any fresh violation — a signal that India’s current posture is not only defensive but decisively pre-emptive when provoked.
