Operation Sindoor: 9 aircraft lost, drones destroyed, missiles blocked - Inside details of IAF's 4-day onslaught on Pakistan

NEW DELHI: The extent of Pakistan’s losses is becoming increasingly clear as more details emerge from the recent cross-border military conflict dubbed Operation Sindoor. Indian Air Force (IAF) retaliatory strikes in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, led to the decimation of significant Pakistani military assets, including fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, drones, and missile systems, forcing Islamabad to seek a ceasefire within four days.

According to ANI report on the basis of defence sources involved in the operation, the IAF destroyed at least six Pakistani fighter jets, two high-value surveillance aircraft, and one C-130 military transport aircraft. More than ten armed drones (UCAVs), several cruise missiles, and radar sites were also taken out during India's calibrated air campaign, which began late on May 6 and concluded by May 10.

The strikes, which included hits on key Pakistani airbases such as Bholari, were executed exclusively using air-launched cruise missiles, avoiding surface-to-surface weapons like the BrahMos. The strikes were carried out by a mix of Rafale and Su-30 MKI fighters, with support from electronic warfare and surveillance assets.

High-value targets hit
One of the most significant hits came in the form of a long-range Sudarshan missile strike, which neutralised a high-value aerial platform, possibly an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft or an electronic warfare jet, at a range of nearly 300 km.

Another AEWC aircraft of Swedish origin, believed to be stationed at the Bholari airbase, was also reportedly destroyed. Although there is suspicion that additional fighter aircraft may have been inside the damaged hangars, officials are not including those in confirmed kill counts due to Pakistan's refusal to clear debris from the site.


Meanwhile, Indian air defences effectively intercepted multiple Pakistani air and ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles. The IAF also scored multiple kills on Pakistani drones, including Chinese-made Wing Loong variants, during strikes and airspace incursions.

Pakistan's propaganda with civilian casualty claims
A dossier showed Pakistan accusing India of targeting seven locations beyond the Indian military's officially disclosed targets, including Attock, Bahawalnagar, Gujrat, Jhang, Peshawar, Chhor, and Hyderabad, alleging civilian casualties. Indian officials, however, dismissed the claims as “propaganda”, asserting that all Indian strikes were limited to terror infrastructure, not civilian or military Pakistani centres.

“We disclosed our targets transparently. This Pakistani document seems like an attempt to falsely portray Indian actions as indiscriminate,” said an Indian defence official.

Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed civilians in Jammu & Kashmir. On May 7, India struck four terror hubs in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including high-profile targets like the Sawai Nala camp in Muzaffarabad, Markaz Taiba in Muridke (Lashkar-e-Taiba HQ), and Markaz Subhan in Bahawalpur (Jaish-e-Mohammed HQ).

After Pakistan escalated with missile and drone attacks on Indian military and civilian centres, India responded with force, targeting nine Pakistani airbases and multiple radar sites. The intense four-day conflict ended when Pakistan sought a ceasefire on May 10, reeling under mounting losses.


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