Pakistan Claims Downing of Five Indian Jets, Vows Retaliation

In response to India’s Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s military spokesperson claimed that its forces shot down five Indian aircraft, including three Rafale fighter jets, one SU-30, and one MIG-29. Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, also stated that Pakistani forces had taken an unspecified number of Indian soldiers as prisoners.

Asif emphasized that Pakistan had not initiated hostilities but was forced to respond to India’s aggression. “We have been clear that we will not initiate anything hostile toward India, but if India attacks, we will respond,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned India’s missile strikes, calling them an “act of war.” He asserted that Pakistan reserves the right to retaliate and vowed that Islamabad would take all necessary actions in response to the Indian aggression.

The claims of downed jets have not been confirmed by India, which has yet to release an official statement regarding the alleged losses. Tensions between the two countries remain high, with Pakistan also accusing India of shelling civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC), which resulted in the deaths of three civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.