In a blistering counterargument to Pakistan, former Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot Ajay Ahlawat has said that while India may have lost a few jets during Operation Sindoor, it is Pakistan that has lost face.
His comments come against the backdrop of escalating tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbours. “We lost jets, not pilots. You lost face. Accept it and move on,” Ahlawat wrote on X, the social media platform formerly Twitter.
He stressed that India’s air strikes were accurate and unopposed, adding that terrorist infrastructure was targeted deep within Pakistan despite their military being on heightened alert. Ahlawat stated that Pakistan could not prevent or counter India’s retaliatory attack. He further stated that Indian airstrikes targeted Pakistani bases with precision, while Pakistan’s counterattack was unable to deliver any substantive damage. “We have satellite images to back our claims, You have social media posts,” he wrote. Quoting the Indus Waters Treaty, still suspended, Ahlawat gave a sharp notice by saying, “IWT is still in abeyance. You can do nothing about it. Try bombing our dams and see the magic thereafter.”
He also made a contrast between the political leadership on either side, declaring, “Pakistan is a funny country. Tragic actually. The most popular leader is in jail. The most corrupt in PMO. The Generals who got them a strategic foothold in Afghanistan are under arrest, while the failed General is a field marshal. They parade internationally recognized terrorists in official events, in the same week, they beg international organizations for a loan.” Ending his post, Ahlawat recalled Pakistan’s past defeats and said, “Last time you were tallying air victories, you lost face at Kargil. Earlier, you lost part of your nation in 1971. If we lose aircraft, we’ll manage. You lost face, you manage.”
Operation Sindoor: Not A War, A Lesson
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, in an interview at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, admitted losing some Indian aircraft but insisted that “numbers are not important, tactics are.” “The important part is learning why we lost them, fixing the tactical mistakes, and striking again within 48 hours,” Gen Chauhan said. He further dismissed Pakistan’s claim of downing six Indian fighter jets as “absolutely incorrect.” India’s Operation Sindoor was initiated in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, striking terrorist assets deep inside Pakistan.
Indian defence officials stated that nine terror camps and 11 Pakistani air bases, including Islamabad’s Nur Khan Airbase, were struck under precision airstrikes. Although India has not officially made public the number of aircraft lost, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, earlier confirmed that “all pilots returned safely” and that “losses are a part of combat.” “We can’t comment on jet losses during an ongoing scenario, but what matters is our ability to adapt and deliver results,” Bharti said during a briefing on May 11.
Indian jets, drones, and long-range missiles struck strategic targets across Pakistan, destroying radar systems, command centers, and airbases. Satellite imagery from both Indian and international platforms has confirmed the precision and impact of these strikes. “Some strikes were accurate to the metre; that level of accuracy shows capability and intent,” said Gen Chauhan. Though Pakistan tried to retaliate by targeting Indian military and civilian installations, India’s second wave of retaliatory strikes reportedly disabled several Pakistani airbases, and a mutually agreed ceasefire was put in place on May 10.