BJP's National Head of Information and Technology, Amit Malviya, on Saturday announced that the Indian Air Force (IAF), with ground forces, downed at least five Pakistani military aircraft during Operation Sindoor. This included a Chinese JF-17 fighter plane and two American F-16s, he stated in a social media platform X post.
Malviya’s disclosure comes amid political debate over Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent demand for information regarding Indian aircraft losses, with the BJP accusing him of ignoring the extent of damage suffered by Pakistan in the conflict.
Emphasizing the IAF's accuracy in targeting and air dominance throughout the four-day military action, Malviya outlined the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plane losses: "one C-130 J medium-lift transport aircraft, a JF-17 fighter, and two F-16s – destroyed both on the ground and in air combat."
Besides, Malviya said that a Pakistani SAAB 2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft was destroyed almost 315 km deep within the Pakistani country. The Erieye is equipped with a state-of-the-art Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
Referring to a media report, Malviya stated the IAF has irrefutable proof that its missiles hit the listed Pakistani aircraft successfully. He also waxed eloquent about India's S-400 air defence system, stating, "India's S-400 air defence system in Adampur came into play at least 11 times during Operation Sindoor."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently visited the Adampur Air Base after the May 10 ceasefire understanding.
Malviya also provided specifics of IAF strikes made that day, mentioning Rafale fighter aircraft launching SCALP missiles and SU-30 MKIs firing BrahMos cruise missiles. The first strike alone, according to him, destroyed Pakistan's northern air command and control node at the Nur Khan Airbase in Chaklala.
He said Indian troops conducted four specific strikes during the operation, with the last wave targeting the Jacobabad and Bholari airbases. "The last strike was executed at Jacobabad and Bholari air bases, but by then Pakistan had folded and was looking for US intervention for a ceasefire," Malviya said on X.
He also refuted the spread of misinformation on social media, purportedly sourced from a made-up British news article called "Pakistan Air Force: The Undisputed King of the Skies", claiming that the IAF's documented success on the battlefield squarely contradicts such false reports.
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