In a powerful retaliation to a late-night “cowardly” attack by India, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale jets, and destroyed a brigade headquarters along with several military check-posts, according to Pakistan military sources.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down the Indian aircraft within Indian airspace. The downed jets included three Rafales, one Sukhoi Su-30, and one MiG-29. He added that all Pakistani aircraft involved in the operation returned safely.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also confirmed the destruction of five Indian fighter jets in an interview with an international news agency.
Earlier, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told the BBC that the PAF shot down three Indian jets in Akhnoor, Jammu, Bernala, and Ambala. Additionally, a quadcopter and a large drone were also destroyed.
According to security sources, the Indian jets were downed while attempting to carry out attacks on Pakistan from Indian territory. In addition to the fighter jets, Pakistan also shot down an Israeli-made Heron drone.
Security officials added that several Indian military posts along the Line of Control (LoC) were also destroyed, and the Pakistan Armed Forces continue to deliver a strong and effective response to ongoing Indian aggression.
The escalation began after India launched a missile attack late last night targeting civilian areas in Pakistan. According to ISPR, missile strikes were carried out in Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh, and Muzaffarabad, resulting in eight civilian deaths, 35 injuries, and two people reported missing.
In a late-night interview with ARY News, DG ISPR Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that cowardly Indian forces carried out airstrikes at three locations including Ahmed East in Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad. One of the attacks struck near the Subhanallah Mosque in Ahmed East, where a house was hit, and a family—including a child—was trapped and being rescued.
He further reported that two civilians were martyred in Kotli, and that strikes on mosques pointed to the extremist Hindutva ideology of the RSS, which he said was behind the attacks.
Lt. Gen. Chaudhry emphasized that Pakistan will respond to this heinous provocation at a time and place of its own choosing.
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