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India on Monday officially confirmed that a Pakistani Mirage fighter jet was shot down during Operation Sindoor, the precision military operation launched in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead. The Indian Army also released video footage showing the wreckage of the downed aircraft.

At a high-level press briefing held in New Delhi, senior commanders from the Army, Air Force, and Navy shared an in-depth account of the operation, which was conducted in the early hours of May 7. The press conference was led by Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Director General Air Operations Air Vice Marshal AK Bharti, and Director General of Naval Operations Vice Admiral AN Pramod.

Indian intelligence agencies have linked the Pahalgam attack to the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, and to elements within Pakistan's military establishment.

#WATCH | Delhi | The Indian military shows the debris of a likely PL-15 air-to-air missile, which is of Chinese origin and was used by Pakistan during the attack on India.

The wreckage of the Turkish-origin YIHA and Songar drones that were shot down by India has also been shown pic.twitter.com/kWIaIqnfkQ

— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2025

Precision Strikes and Air Superiority

Air Vice Marshal AK Bharti said that Operation Sindoor lasted approximately 25 minutes and involved simultaneous strikes on nine confirmed terror sites — four located in mainland Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These targets were associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

"Our battle-proven systems stood the test of time and took them head-on," Bharti stated. "A key highlight has been the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system, the Akash system. The ability to deploy such a potent air defence environment has only been possible due to consistent budgetary and policy support from the Government of India over the last decade."

 

Also Read: IAF downed Pak jets, all our pilots back home: India

Pakistani Retaliation and India’s Defence Response

In response to the Indian airstrikes, Pakistan launched a wave of retaliatory attacks using drones and missiles, targeting Indian military bases and civilian areas in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan. These strikes led to air raid sirens and blackouts in several cities, including Chandigarh, Jaisalmer, and Pathankot.

#WATCH | Delhi: Vice Admiral AN Pramod says, "Effectively using multiple sensors and inputs, we are maintaining continuous surveillance to degrade or neutralise threats as they emerge or manifest to ensure targeting at extended ranges. All these are conducted under the umbrella… pic.twitter.com/emSuQ4TfFK

— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2025

While India reported limited damage to military installations in Udhampur, Adampur, Pathankot, and Bhuj, some civilian casualties occurred. In Ferozepur, Punjab, several people were injured, and in Rajouri, J&K, a government employee was killed in a drone strike.

India’s air defence systems effectively neutralised many incoming threats. "Numerous waves of drones and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) employed by Pakistan were thwarted using indigenously developed soft- and hard-kill counter-UAS systems and our well-trained air defence personnel," Bharti added.

The confirmation of the downed Pakistani Mirage jet is seen as a significant military achievement, underlining India's aerial superiority during the brief but intense exchange.

 

Also Read: Pak Army to blame for losses, we targeted terror camps: India