'The Pakistani Mirage… shattered': India flaunts its jet kill in Operation Sindoor
Pakistani Mirage fighter jet
, destroyed during
Operation Sindoor
. The debris was shown in a one-minute 26-second video titled 'Destroy the Enemy in the Sky,' shared on social media by the
Indian Army
. A still from the footage, displayed before a high-level press briefing, bore the caption: 'The Pakistani Mirage… Shattered.'
#Operation Sindoor
The damage done at Pak bases as India strikes to avenge Pahalgam
Why Pakistan pleaded to end hostilities
Kashmir's Pahalgam sparks Karachi's nightmare
This marked the first time India publicly showed visual evidence of a downed Pakistani aircraft from the recent military conflict.
Indian air defence claims victory in the skies
Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, confirmed the Mirage was taken down by India's indigenously built air defence systems.
'Our battle-proven systems stood the test of time and take them head-on,' he said. 'Another highlight has been the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system, the Akash system. Putting together and operationalising the potent AD environment has been possible only because of budgetary and policy support from the government of India in the last decade.'
— adgpi (@adgpi)
Live Events
He also emphasised that Pakistan's missile, drone, and aircraft strikes were mostly thwarted by the Indian Integrated Air Command and Control System and surface-to-air missile systems like Akash.
Visuals of damaged Pakistani airbases
At the briefing, the
Indian Air Force
presented satellite imagery and videos of damage inflicted on multiple Pakistani military installations.
Air Marshal Bharti said, 'As you can see, we have targeted the length and breadth of the adversary. I'm sure most of you would have already seen the effect of these strikes on the ground, courtesy of a large number of videos and photographs being circulated in the media.'
Among the sites shown were Rahim Yar Khan Airbase and the newly built Kanir base.
'In fact, two of them, this is a strike on the new Kanir base. And you can see the fact, I'm sure most of you have seen the video, I've also picked it up from your sources only. And this is the aftermath of our strike at Rahim Yar Khan Airbase. You can see the massive crater that it has left on its runway. And you can see the pinpoint accuracy of our weapons,' he added.
What was Operation Sindoor?
Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of 7 May in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April, which left 26 dead. The Indian government linked the attack to
Lashkar-e-Taiba
, believed to be backed by Pakistan's military establishment.
According to Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh
, Indian forces targeted nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He said over 100 terrorists were killed in the strikes, which lasted just 25 minutes.
Pakistan's retaliation and India's response
Following the Indian strikes, Pakistan launched a wave of retaliatory attacks. These included drones and missiles aimed at Indian military sites and border towns in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
Cities such as Amritsar, Jaisalmer, and Pathankot witnessed
air raid sirens
and emergency blackouts. However,
Indian air defence systems
intercepted most incoming threats.
Air Marshal Bharti noted, 'Numerous waves of drones and unmanned combat aerial vehicles employed by Pakistan were also thwarted by the indigenously developed soft and hard kill counter-UAS systems and the well-trained Indian Air Defence personnel.'
India then launched counter-strikes on several Pakistani military bases including Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Sukkur, and Chunian. Radar sites at Sialkot and Pasrur were also targeted using precision-guided munitions.
After intense hostilities, both nations agreed to a ceasefire on the evening of 11 May. According to Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations, Indian forces achieved their objectives and inflicted heavy damage.
'35–40 Pakistani military personnel were killed in the combat,' he said.
The night that followed the ceasefire was the first without shelling or gunfire in 19 days.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the nation at 8 pm today. This will be his first public statement since the launch of Operation Sindoor.
As of now, Pakistan has not officially acknowledged any damage to its Mirage fleet or responded to India's claims.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
25 minutes ago
- India.com
US tightens rules for issuing Green Cards with focus on married couples; how will it affect Indians?
(Representational image: New Delhi: America has tightened the rules for issuing green cards for married couples. The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued a guideline in this regard. It talks about tightening the scrutiny of family-based immigrant visa applications, especially marriage-based applications. Its purpose is to eliminate fraudulent claims and ensure that green cards are approved only based on genuine relationships. This decision will also have a direct impact on Indian citizens, as Indians make up a large number of foreigners living in America. When were the new rules implemented? The new rules regarding green cards have come into effect on August 1. It also applies to all pending and newly filed petitions. USCIS has said that fraudulent visa petitions undermine confidence in family-based methods of obtaining lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. In such a situation, we are committed to keeping Americans safe by detecting foreigners with bad intentions. What are the new changes? The new guidelines tighten strict scrutiny and documentation processes. These include improved eligibility checks and adjudication processes for family-based petitions. Clear documentation along with photos, shared financial details and family affidavits will be required to prove a bona fide marriage. Couples will also undergo mandatory personal interviews, aimed at evaluating the authenticity of the relationship. Along with this, there will be a thorough scrutiny of immigration history. USCIS has added more stringent checks to its policy, especially for applicants who are already in the US on other visas and seek status adjustment through marriage. If a US citizen sponsors a foreign spouse, such as someone from India, then the couple will now have to provide solid proof of a bona fide relationship. What is the Green Card? The Green Card is officially called the US Permanent Resident Card. It is proof of the right to live and work permanently in the USA. It looks like a plastic card. It contains the person's information, photo, and fingerprints. The Green Card holder is considered a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).
New Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
MHA approves CISF's five-year plan to add 70,000 more personnel in next five years
NEW DELHI: Aligning with the expansion plan of industrial units in areas of security concerns, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved a proposal of fresh induction 70, 000 personnel in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in next five years with an aim to recruit 14,000 of them each year, officials said on Monday. The officials said that once the recruitment process gets completed in the next five years, the CISF is set to become a force with a total strength of 2.20 lakh personnel. A senior official said, 'The proposed expansion plan is aligned with the increasing demands of securing critical infrastructure across the nation, including Parliament House, metro networks, airports, industrial units, and strategic installations. Soon industrial units are expected to come up in areas of security concerns like naxal-affected zones and Jammu & Kashmir. Currently the total strength of the CISF is a little over 1.5 lakh, which was nearly one lakh in 2014, the officials said, adding that recently the MHA has given its formal approval to increase the sanctioned strength of the force to 2.20 lakh to meet evolving national security needs. One of the major catalysts for this expansion was the security breach involving coloured smoke bomb episodes inside the Parliament House. In response, the government had decided to assign the security task to the CISF. This was a shift from earlier multi-agency security to a more centralized, specialized model under CISF's command. The role of CISF has expanded steadily with India's economic growth, covering not just public sector undertakings but also private sector units that significantly contribute to the economy. The force now guards nuclear power stations, airports, metro networks, and major industrial hubs -making it one of the most critical arms of India's internal security. Meanwhile, keeping in view the ever increasing demand for internal security duties with regard to combat roles, CISF personnel are also sent for war training in collaboration with the Indian Army, especially after the success of Operation Sindoor. Another senior official said, 'The fresh recruitment drive and training expansion are part of a larger modernisation plan that includes upgrading equipment, adopting tech-based surveillance systems, and improving rapid response capabilities.'
NDTV
41 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Certified Anti-National": BJP After Top Court Raps Rahul Gandhi Over Army Remarks
New Delhi: As the Supreme Court slammed Rahul Gandhi over his remarks about the Indian Army, the BJP on Monday tore into the Congress leader and alleged that he has vowed to "weaken India and strengthen China". Calling the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha a "certified anti-national", the BJP claimed that the "China guru" (Gandhi) and his party also "hate" the Indian armed forces and that he is being "remote controlled by foreign forces". The ruling party also demanded an apology from him and the Congress for his remarks. The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the proceedings against Gandhi before a Lucknow court over his remarks about the Army during his December 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The top court, however, censured Gandhi, saying if he is a true Indian, he would not say such a thing. Citing observations made by a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that for the first time in the parliamentary history of the country, the Supreme Court had to make such a "stern remark" against a leader of the opposition. In a post in Hindi on X, Pradhan said, "Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have a history of insulting the army, whether it is the surgical strike or Operation Sindoor. They have questioned the sacrifices of our brave soldiers at every opportunity." Their loyalty is not to the nation but only to one family, which is why respect for the nation is not even part of their "fundamental thinking", he charged. "Today, the entire country is hurt by this anti-national mentality and expects an apology from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress," the senior BJP leader said. Latching on to the apex court's observations, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Gandhi keeps making "immatured, irresponsible and anti-India comments" even though he has been rapped by various courts for such remarks in the past. "Today when the Supreme Court's comment has come, it won't be wrong to say that Rahul Gandhi has certainly vowed to weaken India and strengthen China," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here. In a post on X, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said, "The Supreme Court has once again reprimanded 'China Guru' Rahul Gandhi for making irresponsible statements concerning India's national security and territorial integrity." "Imagine, a leader of the opposition being repeatedly rebuked for speaking such recklessly," he said. "Rahul Gandhi is now a certified anti-national," the BJP leader charged in another post on X. Showing a purported picture of Rahul Gandhi signing some document in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, BJP spokesperson Bhatia claimed that the Congress leader had signed a party-to-party memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Communist Party of China. "That's why Rahul Gandhi was saying that our soldiers were thrashed by Chinese soldiers, be it (in) Doklam or Galwan, while every Indian was standing by India and brave soldiers of India," he charged. They never tell the people of India what was there in the Congress' party-to-party MoU with the Communist Party of China, he said. "It seems Rahul Gandhi has love for China and Pakistan in his veins, but no love for India," he added. Bhatia termed the apex court's observations as "very serious" and said with this, Gandhi's credibility has gone down to "zero". "Does India deserve a more responsible and a better Leader of Opposition (LoP)? As the LoP who has taken oath under the Constitution to protect the sovereignty of our country, is he destroying the sovereignty of our country? Is he helping nations that are inimical to our country? Is he demoralising the brave Indian armed forces?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi's credibility is "at stake", Bhatia said. Malviya also took on the Congress leader over his recent "dead" economy remark, calling it "a diplomatic disaster on multiple fronts". "His recent 'dead economy' jibe is just the latest in a long series. In doing so, he implicitly admitted that Russia, a long-standing ally, is struggling, while bizarrely endorsing a hostile state like Pakistan as having a robust economy," he said. Echoing US President Donald Trump's criticism of the Indian economy, Gandhi said on August 1 that everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman know that the country's economy is "dead". Referring to Gandhi's remarks on the surgical strike and Operation Sindoor, another BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress leader and his party "hate" Indian armed forces. "Sena ka Apman Congress ki pehchan (Insulting the Army is the hallmark of the Congress)," Poonawalla said in a post on X. "Rahul and Congress hate Indian Armed Forces," he charged, adding, "Today SC has slammed him." Another BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X that the Supreme Court's poser to Gandhi about his claim exposed him. He said, "Supreme Court asks Rahul Gandhi - 'How did you know that China had occupied land?'" This question by the Supreme Court has not only "exposed" Gandhi, but further got the attention back on the "secret MoU that Gandhi-Vadra family had with China", he said. "Rahul is working under the remote control of foreign forces," Bhandari charged.
