Defence minister refutes IAF chief’s claim of shooting down Pakistani jets

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday strongly rejected claims by the Indian Air Force chief that India had shot down six Pakistani fighter jets during a conflict in May, calling the assertions “implausible” and “ill-timed.”

“The belated assertions made by the Indian Air Force Chief regarding alleged destruction of Pakistani aircraft during Operation Sindoor are as implausible as they are ill-timed,” Asif said in a statement.

The statement by the defence czar was followed by remarks from India’s air force chief, who claimed on Saturday that India had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and another military aircraft during clashes in May, in the first such public claim by the country after its worst military conflict in decades with its neighbour.

At an event in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh claimed most of the Pakistani aircraft were downed by India's Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system. He cited electronic tracking data as confirmation of the strikes.

"We have at least five fighters confirmed killed, and one large aircraft," he said, adding that the large aircraft, which could be a surveillance plane, was shot down at a distance of 300 km (186 miles).

Singh did not mention the type of fighter jets that were downed, but said that airstrikes also hit an additional surveillance plane and "a few F-16" fighters that were parked in hangars at two air bases in Pakistan.

In contrast to the Indian air chief’s statement, during a conflict with India in May, Pakistan Air Force shot down six Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets, in retaliation for India’s missile attack. A day later, a senior French intelligence official also confirmed to CNN that one Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jet had been shot down by Pakistan, marking what could be the first known combat loss of the French-made aircraft.

Defence czar added it was “ironic how senior Indian military officers are being used as the faces of monumental failure caused by the strategic shortsightedness of Indian politicians.”

Asif noted that for three months after the conflict, no such claims were made. He said Pakistan had presented “detailed technical briefings” to the international media immediately after the incident, while independent observers acknowledged the loss of multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales.

These acknowledgements, he said, came from “world leaders, senior Indian politicians to foreign intelligence assessments.”

The minister insisted that “not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed by India,” saying instead that Pakistan had destroyed six Indian jets, S-400 air defence batteries and unmanned aircraft, while disabling several Indian airbases. He said losses for Indian forces along the Line of Control were “disproportionately heavier.”

“If the truth is in question, let both sides open their aircraft inventories to independent verification—though we suspect this would lay bare the reality India seeks to obscure,” Asif said.

Read More: Pakistan warns India of deep strikes

He warned that “wars are not won by falsehoods but by moral authority, national resolve and professional competence,” adding that “comical narratives, crafted for domestic political expediency, increase the grave risks of strategic miscalculation in a nuclearised environment.”

Cautioning New Delhi against any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, Asif said, “As demonstrated during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, every violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will invite swift, surefire and proportionate response, and responsibility for any ensuing escalation will rest entirely with strategically blind leaders who gamble with South Asia’s peace for fleeting political gains.”

Pakistan-India Recent Conflict

The latest escalation between Pakistan and India began on April 22, when an attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident. However, Pakistan categorically rejected the Indian blame.

In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and reducing diplomatic staff at each other's embassies.

Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.

Also Read: French intelligence official confirms downing of Rafale by Pakistan

In a swift military response, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets. The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases, and other strategic targets.

Later, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary.