Pune (TDI): Months after the May conflict between Pakistan and India, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has stated that India suffered a decisive defeat during the aerial engagement that took place on May 7.
Chavan said, “Accept it or not, we were fully defeated in the half-hour aerial engagement on the first day of Operation Sindoor. The Indian Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew due to the risk of being shot down by Pakistan’s air defenses.”
He added that if any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, it would have faced a high probability of being downed, highlighting Pakistan’s robust aerial combat response.
The conflict, which lasted four days, was triggered by India’s missile strikes inside Pakistani territory, resulting in casualties among civilians and security personnel. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down seven Indian aircraft, including Rafales, and reportedly destroyed an S-400 defence system. Pakistan also carried out retaliatory strikes targeting multiple Indian military sites.
Read More: Bangladesh Signals Openness to New Bloc with Pakistan, Surpassing India
The hostilities concluded on May 10 following a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. A subsequent report submitted to the United States Congress by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission noted Pakistan’s use of advanced Chinese weaponry during the conflict, including the HQ-9 air-defense system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10C fighter jets, marking their first operational deployment in active combat.
Read More: US Security Strategy Highlights Trump’s Mediation Between Pakistan and India
Earlier this month, Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir issued a warning to India, stating that any future aggression would be met with a “swift and intense” response.
