We downed a few Pak planes, all our pilots home: Air Force on Op Sindoor

The Indian Air Force said it downed Pakistani jets and foiled drone raids during Operation Sindoor, with all Indian pilot back home and all objectives achieved

The Indian armed forces successfully downed a few Pakistan planes during 'Operation Sindoor', Air Marshal AK Bharti told the media on Sunday. The Air Marshal also maintained that all Indian pilots were back home.

 

The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the three armed forces disclosed details of 'Operation Sindoor'. In response to a media query on the Air Force shooting down Pakistani aircraft, Air Marshal Bharti said, "As I said, their planes were prevented from coming inside our border. So, we don't have wreckage with us, but definitely, we have downed a few Pakistani planes. On numbers, we would not like to hazard a guess. I have the numbers and we are getting into technical details to establish it. So, I would not like to put a figure at this time." 

 

VIDEO | Armed Forces Press Briefing: In response to a media query on Indian Air Force shooting down Pakistani aircraft, Air Marshal AK Bharti says, "As I said, their planes were prevented from coming inside our border. So, we don't have wreckage with us, but definitely, we have… pic.twitter.com/6jm7WueciR

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 11, 2025

 

Asked about the objectives of the operation, Air Marshal Bharti said, "On the question of achieving our objective of decimating terrorist camps, the answer is a thumping yes. The results are for the whole world to see."

 

"As far as the details are concerned... at this time, I would not like to comment on that because we are still in a combat situation. If I comment, it would only advantage our adversary. So, we don't want to give them any advantage at this stage. We have achieved all our selected objectives and all our pilots are back home," he added.

 

Air Force successfully repelled Pak's UAV attack

 

Air Marshal Bharti also said that India's air defence systems successfully thwarted a wave of drones, UAVs, and UCAVs launched by Pakistan on the night of May 8 and 9.

 

"It was a coordinated mass raid conducted in relentless waves. However, due to our robust air defense preparedness, no damage occurred — neither to strategic targets nor to civilian areas,” he said.

 

“Unlike the previous night, which saw a limited number of armed UAVs, May 8 saw fewer weaponised drones and more quadcopters — likely intended for surveillance or civilian harassment. This activity continued till midnight. Our defence systems neutralised any potential threat, safeguarding both military installations and civilian zones,” the Air Marshal added. 

Also Read | IC-814 hijacker, Pulwama attacker among those killed in Op Sindoor: Army