NEW DELHI, September 14: India’s Ministry of Defence has disclosed fresh details of the Indian Air Force’s actions during Operation Sindoor, saying strikes on Pakistan’s Shahbaz Airbase at Jacobabad destroyed or damaged multiple F-16 aircraft along with other military assets.
The details are contained in the Defence Ministry’s Annual Report 2025–26, which outlines targets struck during the four-day India-Pakistan military confrontation in May 2025. The report has now been made public, bringing new official detail about damage claimed by India during the operation.
F-16 Hangars Among Targets at Jacobabad
According to the Defence Ministry report, the IAF targeted four aircraft hangars on May 10, 2025 that housed fighter aircraft, airborne early-warning platforms and unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
The ministry says the strikes destroyed or damaged multiple F-16s at Jacobabad, along with one Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft and several Akinci and TB-2-class unmanned aircraft. It also reported casualties among Pakistan Air Force personnel.
The report does not publicly specify the exact number of F-16 aircraft destroyed rather than damaged.
Radars and Command Centres Also Targeted
The Defence Ministry said the IAF also struck six radar installations and two surface-to-air guided weapon sites using air-launched weapons and loitering munitions.
Command-and-control centres at Chaklala and Murid were also targeted, with the ministry saying the facilities were destroyed. Chaklala hosts the headquarters of Pakistan’s Air Defence Command.
Runways at Sargodha and Rahim Yar Khan were damaged, while infrastructure at Jacobabad and Rahim Yar Khan was also hit during the campaign.
S-400 Credited With 314-km Strike
The annual report also says an Indian S-400 air-defence unit destroyed a Pakistani special-mission aircraft from about 314 kilometres away.
The ministry described the engagement as demonstrating the reach of India’s long-range air-defence capability. The IAF’s integrated command-and-control network was used to coordinate air-defence assets and respond to drones, missiles and other aerial threats during the confrontation.
Operation Followed Pahalgam Terror Attack
Operation Sindoor began on the night of May 6–7, 2025, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India initially struck nine sites it described as terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry of Defence said the initial action was focused on terror targets; the confrontation later expanded after Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks, according to the Indian account.
India subsequently struck Pakistani military infrastructure, including several airbases, before both sides agreed to halt military action on May 10.
Pakistan Has Disputed Indian Claims
Pakistan has previously rejected India’s wider claims about the outcome of Operation Sindoor and has presented a different account of the conflict and aircraft losses.
The fresh Defence Ministry report represents India’s official assessment of the damage inflicted. No new Pakistani response specifically addressing the latest F-16 details in the annual report was identified at the time of publication.
Fresh Report Provides More Detail on 2025 Operation
While Operation Sindoor itself took place in 2025, the new development is the Defence Ministry’s detailed disclosure in its 2025–26 annual report, including the specific reference to F-16 aircraft at Jacobabad.
The disclosures provide one of the clearest official Indian accounts yet of the Pakistani air-force assets India says were damaged or destroyed during the confrontation.
source – Ministry of Defence / The Week / Times of India
Supreme News Network
