Pakistan has announced that its forces shot down six Indian fighter jets in the recent standoff sparked by a terrorist attack in Kashmir. According to the Pakistani military, five of the aircraft were destroyed in just a few hours during intense fighting on May 7, 2025, Geo News reported, citing an official statement from the Pakistani Defense Ministry. The conflict, which peaked after Indian strikes on targets in Pakistani-administered Kashmir and Punjab province, was resolved on May 11, with both sides declaring themselves victors.

The escalation began after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives and which India blamed on Pakistani terror groups. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, striking targets in Bahawalpur and Muridke using French SCALP-EG missiles fired from Rafale fighter jets, The Times of India reports. Pakistan, for its part, said the strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including a mosque, and killed 31 civilians, sparking protests in the country.

Pakistan's air defense systems, including Chinese-made HQ-9 and HQ-16 systems, were effective in intercepting several missiles and shooting down six Indian fighter jets, including a Rafale and Su-30MKI, South China Morning Post reported. India, however, denied the reports, saying it lost only two aircraft and that its strikes had hit their targets, destroying terrorist training camps, India Today reported. Both sides released footage of the downed planes and targets, fueling the back-and-forth.