Singapore – India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, has publicly acknowledged that India suffered losses in the air during its recent four-day military conflict with Pakistan — the worst confrontation between the two nuclear-armed nations since 1999. The statement marks the first official admission from New Delhi of aircraft losses during the skirmishes earlier this month.
The conflict involved the Indian and Pakistani armed forces, with the Indian Air Force and its Chief of Defence Staff playing a central role in aerial operations. General Chauhan made the admission during an interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. Pakistan’s military had earlier claimed it had downed five Indian jets, including three Rafale fighters — a claim India continues to deny.
The fighting erupted between May 6 and May 10, primarily along the disputed border in Indian-administered Kashmir and airspace over both nations. It followed a deadly attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that killed 26 people — mostly tourists — which India blamed on a Pakistan-backed militant group.
The trigger was the Pahalgam attack. India accused Islamabad of supporting the group behind the bombing, a charge Pakistan has denied. Tensions escalated rapidly, leading to missile exchanges, drone strikes, and artillery shelling across the border. India claims it was conducting “precision strikes” on terror camps across Pakistan in retaliation.
According to General Chauhan, India initially suffered unspecified aerial losses but quickly adjusted its tactics. “We rectified tactics and then went back on the 7th, 8th, and 10th in large numbers to hit airbases deep inside Pakistan,” he said, claiming the Indian Air Force successfully penetrated Pakistani air defences and conducted precision airstrikes.
Pakistan acknowledges some damage to its airbases but denies any aircraft were lost.
Although a ceasefire was reached on May 10, tensions remain high. General Chauhan warned that India would respond “precisely and decisively” to any future attacks from Pakistani territory. Meanwhile, both sides are engaged in diplomatic and military recalibration following the latest flare-up.
The brief but intense conflict left more than 70 people dead on both sides, including civilians and alleged militants. The possibility of renewed hostilities lingers amid unresolved territorial disputes and continued cross-border accusations.
