Operation Sindoor: Defence Ministry Reveals IAF Strikes on Pakistan’s F-16s at Jacobabad

The Ministry of Defence has released fresh details of the Indian Air Force’s operations during Operation Sindoor, providing a clearer account of the Pakistani military targets struck during the four-day conflict in May 2025. The details, included in the Defence Ministry’s Annual Report 2025–26, highlight IAF strikes against aircraft hangars, airfield infrastructure, runways, radars, surface-to-air weapon locations and command-and-control centres.

Operation Sindoor began on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack. India initially carried out precision strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. As the conflict escalated, the Indian Air Force expanded its operations against Pakistani military infrastructure after Pakistan launched coordinated drone and missile attacks against Indian military positions.

According to the Defence Ministry’s report, the IAF conducted precision strikes against several important Pakistani military locations, including Nur Khan and Rahim Yar Khan air bases. The operation involved a combination of air-launched weapons and unmanned systems, allowing the IAF to engage targets while maintaining operational reach across a wide area.

One of the significant engagements took place at Jacobabad on May 10, where four aircraft hangars were successfully targeted. The Defence Ministry stated that the hangars housed fighter aircraft, an airborne early warning and control aircraft and unmanned combat aerial vehicles. Multiple F-16 aircraft at the Jacobabad air base, along with an AEW&C aircraft and several Akinci and TB2-class unmanned combat aerial vehicles, were reported destroyed or damaged.

The IAF also targeted critical airfield infrastructure during the operation. The cooling plant at Jacobabad and the terminal at Rahim Yar Khan were struck, while runways at Sargodha and Rahim Yar Khan were successfully targeted and damaged. These strikes were aimed at disrupting the operational infrastructure supporting Pakistan’s military aviation activities.

Pakistan’s air-defence network was another major focus of the Indian strikes. The Defence Ministry reported that six radars and two surface-to-air guided weapon locations were successfully targeted using a combination of air-launched weapons and unmanned loitering munitions. Command-and-control facilities at Chaklala and Murid were also targeted, with the Chaklala facility identified as the headquarters of the Pakistan Air Force Air Defence Command.

At the same time, the Indian Air Force operated a layered air-defence network to counter Pakistan’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks. The system included the indigenously developed Akash missile system along with Pechora and OSA-AK platforms. The Integrated Air Command and Control System coordinated surveillance and air-defence assets, helping Indian forces respond to drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles and other aerial threats.

The Defence Ministry’s report also highlighted a major long-range air-defence engagement during Operation Sindoor. An Indian S-400 unit reportedly intercepted and destroyed a Pakistani special-mission aircraft at a distance of 314 kilometres. The engagement has been described in the report as the longest surface-to-air kill recorded during the operation, underlining the reach of India’s long-range air-defence capability.

The newly disclosed details provide a broader picture of the IAF’s role during Operation Sindoor. The campaign involved precision strikes against terrorist infrastructure as well as subsequent attacks on military airfields, aircraft hangars, air-defence systems and command facilities after the conflict escalated.

The Defence Ministry’s latest account also highlights the increasing importance of integrated air operations, precision weapons, unmanned systems and layered air defence in modern warfare. The combination of offensive strike capabilities and coordinated air-defence assets enabled India to conduct operations against military targets while defending its own critical installations from retaliatory aerial attacks.

The fresh details are significant because they provide additional official information about the targets engaged by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor. While the military confrontation took place in May 2025, the Defence Ministry’s latest report has brought further operational details into the public domain, including the Jacobabad strike involving Pakistani F-16s and the wider targeting of Pakistan’s military infrastructure.