An Indian defense official has acknowledged that the Indian Air Force lost aircraft during an unprovoked strike on civilian areas in Pakistan on May 7, amid the recent 86-hour conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Speaking at a seminar in Indonesia titled “Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power”, Indian Defense Attache Captain Shiv Kumar admitted to the losses. Indian media reported that Kumar attributed the setback to restrictions from New Delhi’s political leadership, which had directed Indian forces not to target Pakistani military assets to avoid escalation.
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This follows an earlier confirmation by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, who acknowledged fighter jet losses in a Bloomberg Television interview during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Though he did not specify the number of aircraft lost, Chauhan dismissed Pakistan’s claim of six jets being shot down, stating, “What matters is not how many jets were lost, but the reasons behind their loss.”
Additionally, on May 30, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy claimed that Pakistan had downed five Indian jets, including Rafale fighters. However, Indian military officials continue to remain silent on the exact number of aircraft lost to Pakistan Air Force action.
