The Congress on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the sudden halt of Operation Sindoor on May 10, after the Indian Air Force disclosed that it had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets during the mission. Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, speaking in Bengaluru, revealed that the IAF had downed five Pakistani fighter aircraft along with a large aircraft, calling it the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill by India.
“Given the new revelations made by Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh today, it becomes all the more shocking why the PM suddenly stopped Operation Sindoor on the evening of May 10th,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X. “Where did the pressure on the PM come from and why did he capitulate so very soon?” he added.
Addressing the 16th Air Chief Marshal L M Katre Memorial Lecture, Singh said there were indications of at least one Airborne Warning and Control System (AWC) in an AWC hangar, along with several F-16s under maintenance at the targeted location. “We have at least five fighters confirmed killed and one large aircraft, which could be either an aircraft or an AWC, taken at a distance of about 300 kilometres. This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about,” he stated.
The air chief further noted that the operation caused numerous drones and some missiles to fall into Indian territory. The attacks targeted key infrastructure, including the main airfield building, which also functioned as a civil terminal, as well as the Sukkur airbase’s UAB hangar and radar site.
Conducted in May, Operation Sindoor involved precision strikes on multiple sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir associated with terror groups. The mission sought to destroy terror infrastructure and eliminate key operatives in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam carnage.
