By Michelle Ndaga.
India destroyed six Pakistani military aircraft during fierce clashes in May, the country’s air force chief confirmed on Saturday marking the first official account of the incident months after the neighbours’ worst military confrontation in decades.
Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said five of the downed aircraft were Pakistani fighter jets, while the sixth was another type of military plane. He said most were brought down by India’s Russian made S-400 surface to air missile system, with electronic tracking data used to verify the strikes.
The disclosure sheds new light on the scale of the May fighting, which flared amid already heightened tensions between the nuclear armed rivals. While both countries have previously traded accusations over aerial and ground skirmishes, New Delhi had until now avoided publicly detailing its claimed battlefield successes.
Pakistan has not yet responded to Singh’s remarks, but has previously disputed Indian claims of similar military victories. The two sides have fought multiple wars and frequently exchange fire along the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region, with periodic flare ups raising fears of broader conflict.
