New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Friday (October 3) hailed the Indian Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor. The IAF Chief said that Pakistan fighter jets, including US-made F-16s and Chinese J-17s, were shot down by the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor.
Singh said the IAF targeted several Pakistani airbases. During India's attack Pakistan's radars, command centres, runways, hangars, and a surface-to-air missile system were damaged. He added that a C-130-class aircraft and possibly a high-value surveillance aircraft were also hit during the operation.
"As far as Pakistan's losses are concerned...we have struck a large number of their airfields and we struck a large number of installations...Because of these strikes, radars at least four places, command and control centres at two places, runways of course damaged at two places, then three of their hangars in three different stations have been damaged...we have signs of one C-130 class of aircraft...and at least 4 to 5 fighter aircraft, most likely F-16, because that place happened to be F-16 with whatever was under maintenance at that time," the IAF Chief said.
"Along with that, one SAM system has been destroyed...We have clear evidence of one long-range strike, which I talked about more than 300 km, which happened to be either an AEW&C or a significant aircraft, along with that five high-tech fighters between F-16 and JF 17 class this is what our system tells us," he added.
He further stated that India had brought Pakistan to a stage where the neighbouring country asked for a "ceasefire". Air Chief Marshal Singh made these remarks while addressing a press conference as part of 93rd anniversary of the IAF.
Air Chief Marshal Singh also highlighted that when Islamabad approached New Delhi for a ceasefire, as a mature nation, India decided to end hostilities as the Indian Armed Forces achieved all their target.
"I think the way that whole event went by, the way in the aftermath that three or four days of conflict that we had with our western neighbour, it stands as a lesson which will go down in history that, you know, this is one war that was started with a very clear objective and it was terminated in a quick time without, you know, just prolonging it," the IAF Chief said.
"We are seeing what is happening in the world, the two wars that are going on, there is no talk about termination, but we could make them reach a stage where they ask for a ceasefire, ask for termination of hostilities, and also we took a call as a nation to terminate those hostilities because our own objectives were met. I think this is something that the world needs to learn from us, and I have said this earlier also," he added.
Air Chief Marshal Singh Also said India's long range surface to air missile (SAM) hit deep inside the enemy territory during Operation Sindoor and it would go down in the history that longest kill of more than 300 km was achieved by the Indian forces.
Hailing the Indian Armed Forces, the IAF Chief said, "We proved that we are 'Achook (infallible), Abhedya (impenetrable) and Sateek (accurate)' during Op Sindoor, all three services planned and executed this mission."
India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6 and 7 and destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. When Pakistan tried to target Indian cities using drones, the Indian Forces struck 11 airbases in Pakistan, inflicting heavy damage. On May 10, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) approached his Indian counterpart and requested a ceasefire.
