India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one additional military aircraft during the May clashes, India’s Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh said on Saturday.
This marks the first time an Indian official has made such a statement, several months after the deadliest military conflict in decades between the two neighboring countries.
Most of the Pakistani aircraft were downed by the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system, Singh said during an event in the southern city of Bengaluru. He cited data from electronic trackers as confirmation of the aircraft being hit.
“We have confirmation of at least five fighter jets destroyed, and one large aircraft,” he said, adding that the large plane, which might have been a surveillance aircraft, was shot down from a distance of 300 kilometers, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
“This is in fact the largest destruction ever recorded from ground to air,” he said, drawing applause from a crowd that included air service officers, veterans, government officials, and industry representatives.
The Pakistan Army did not immediately respond to Reuters’ inquiries on the matter.
Singh did not specify the exact types of fighter jets that were shot down.
Islamabad, whose air force mainly operates Chinese-made planes and American F-16 jets, has previously denied that India had shot down any Pakistani aircraft during the May fighting.
The clashes lasted from May 7 to 10 between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Meanwhile, Pakistan claimed it shot down six Indian aircraft during the clashes, including a French-made Rafale fighter jet.
India admitted to some losses but denied losing six aircraft.
France’s Air Force Chief, General Jerome Bellanger, previously said he had seen evidence of the loss of three Indian aircraft, including a Rafale. The Indian Air Force has not commented on these claims.
