Operation Sindoor: Pakistan admission about deaths of 5 air force personnel hints PAF jets were downed
This handout satellite image courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows damage to runway and response crews at Pakistan Air Force base Mushaf in Sargodha, Pakistan on May 10 | AFP
The Pakistani military on Tuesday acknowledged the casualties across the border, revealing that 11 soldiers were killed in India's fierce Operation Sindoor. Of these six were army personnel and five were from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
The admission about deaths of five PAF personnel gives strength to India's claims about "a few planes" being downed. There were reports that India shot down one F-16 and two JF-17 fighter jets on May 8-9 night.
Squadron Leader Usman Yousuf, Chief Technician Aurangzeb, Senior Technician Najeeb, Corporal Technician Farooq and Senior Technician Mubashir were among PAF personnel killed. The slain army personnel were Naik Abdul Rehman, Lance Naik Dilawar Khan, Lance Naik Ikramullah, Naik Waqar Khalid, Sepoy Muhammad Adeel Akbar and Sepoy Nisar.
Besides the deaths of 11 soldiers, Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 78 personnel from the army and air force were also injured.
ISPR put the number of civilian deaths at 40, including seven women and 15 children. Among the 121 injured civilians, ISPR said there were 10 women and 27 children. However, it is not clear if Pakistan has included terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor in the civilian list. Pakistan has continuously denied presence of terrorists in the training and recruitment centres targeted by India.
India had earlier clarified that the aim of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to avenge the innocent lives lost in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. However, Pakistan tried to attack Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, following which India responded in equal measure.
Indian armed ofrces said more than 100 terrorists were killed in Pakistan and PoK during Operation Sindoor. Besides, the Indian side also estimated that around 30 to 40 Pakistani security personnel were killed between May 7 and 10.
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