• After a night of discriminatory bombardment by Indian forces on Pakistan, India has lost 5 fighter jets including three of its prized Rafael fighters in one night.
• The Indian government and military seem to be in a state of shock and paralysis after Pakistan retaliates and kills a reported 8 civilians.
After a night of barbarism initiated by India last night, killing a reported 26 people and injuring 46, it is reported India has lost 5 fighter jets in one night of attacks.
India’s military launched Operation Sindoor, striking nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, initiating swift retaliation from Islamabad in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The Indian attack comes after a deadly attack last month on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, something the Indian government blames on Islamabad without providing any evidence to the international community.
In a statement early today India’s government has said its mlitary has attacked: “terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed”.
A Pakistani military spokesperson has told Pakistani broadcaster Geo news that at least five locations, including two mosques, had been hit.
The military said in Punjab that a missile had hit in the city of Bahawalpur killing a child and wounding 2 civilians.
Pakistan’s defence ministry has said that five Indian fighter jets were show last night including 3 Rafael’s, one Su-30 and one MIG-29.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has claimed that Pakistan shot all the Indian fighter jets including the Rafael using Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets.
If this is true this creates a new problem for India in its ambitions in Kashmir and it’s perspective of the Pakistani military, it shows not just to India but western nations that Chinese made fighter jets may potentially have an edge over western made jets and thus making the Indian military think twice before using airstrikes as a way to attack Pakistani targets.
If Pakistan’s claim is true and they have truly shot down 5 fighter jets which judging by the images of plane wreckages seems likely, then it means India has lost almost $1 billion of military hardware in one night.
The total cost per French made Rafael jets is approximately $218 million per jet but adjusting to inflation from 2016 when IAF first made a deal to acquire 36 of them, it is about $289 million per jet.
Adding the prices of the Rafael and the Russian made Su-30 along with the Soviet era MIG-29 jets together, could either surpass or near the $1 billion.
Last night was the first ever time Chinese made fighter jets had come toe to toe with the French made Rafael and judging by India’s lack of retaliation even after having a reported 8 civilians killed in retaliatory Pakistani attacks, the Indian government and military officials may well be in a state of shock and paralysis over the unexpected phenomenon.
Both countries administrations are due to have an emergency meeting sometime today to discuss last nights events and next steps.
