Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly rejected recent claims by the Indian Air Force chief regarding the alleged downing of Pakistani aircraft during Operation Sindoor, calling them “false, ridiculous, and far from the truth.”
In a post on his official X account, Asif said the belated claims, made three months after the clashes, are “as implausible as they are ill-timed.” He criticised Indian military leaders for acting as “faces of monumental failure caused by the strategic shortsightedness of Indian politicians.”
Also Read: India shot down 6 Pakistani aircraft in May: Indian Air Force chief
The minister stressed that not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed, while Pakistan shot down six Indian jets, including Rafale fighters, as well as S-400 air defence batteries and unmanned aircraft. Several Indian airbases, he added, were also put out of action.
Call for independent verification
Asif challenged India to allow independent verification of both countries’ aircraft inventories, expressing confidence that such an assessment would expose the reality. He noted that in the immediate aftermath of the operation, Pakistan had provided technical briefings to international media, backed by independent observers and foreign intelligence assessments, which acknowledged Indian losses.
“The belated assertions made by the Indian Air Force Chief regarding alleged destruction of Pakistani aircraft during Operation Sindoor are as implausible as they are ill-timed. It is also ironic how senior Indian military officers are being used as the faces of monumental…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) August 9, 2025
Warning against political narratives
The defence minister cautioned that “comical narratives” crafted for political gain risk serious miscalculation in a nuclearised South Asia. He said Pakistan’s military would respond swiftly and proportionately to any violation of its sovereignty, as demonstrated during Operation Bunyanun Marsoos.
Also Read: Indian minister claims 3 Pakistanis killed over Pahalgam attack
“Wars are not won by falsehoods but by moral authority, national resolve, and professional competence,” Asif said, warning that responsibility for any future escalation would rest entirely with “strategically blind leaders” in India.
Earlier today, India's air force chief claimed that India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in May, the first such statement by the country months after its worst military conflict in decades with its neighbour.
Most of the Pakistani aircraft were downed by India's Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system, Indian Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said at an event in the southern city of Bengaluru. He cited electronic tracking data as confirmation of the strikes.
"We have at least five fighters confirmed killed, and one large aircraft," he said, adding that the large aircraft, which could be a surveillance plane, was shot down at a distance of 300 km (186 miles).
Also Read: Indian Army says no violation of ceasefire at LoC
"This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill," he said, prompting applause from the crowd that included serving air force officers, veterans, and government and industry officials.
Pakistan's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Singh did not mention the type of fighter jets that were downed, but said that airstrikes also hit an additional surveillance plane and "a few F16" fighters that were parked in hangars at two air bases in southeastern Pakistan.
Islamabad, whose air force primarily operates Chinese-made jets and US F-16s, has previously denied that India downed any Pakistani aircraft during the May 7-10 fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
.jpg)
