Pakistan-India dogfight one of largest, longest in recent aviation history, source says

Pakistani and Indian fighter jets engaged in one of the largest and longest aerial battles in recent aviation history, with Pakistani officials claiming the downing of five Indian planes.

The battle, which involved a total of 125 fighter jets, lasted for over an hour and saw intense missile exchanges at distances of up to 160 kilometres, according to a senior Pakistani source, Caliber.Az reports via CNN.

The source emphasised that neither the Indian nor Pakistani forces were willing to send pilots over the border, because of a much smaller but significant skirmish in 2019, where an Indian Air Force pilot was shot down and captured in Pakistan. The pilot was paraded on television before being returned to India. A humiliation, the source said, neither side wanted this time.

According to the source, the Indian Air Force had to make multiple passes at targets. While the airstrikes were ongoing, Pakistan took measures to minimize civilian casualties, issuing warnings to residents in areas believed to be at risk of being targeted.

The senior Pakistani security source confirmed that five Indian planes were downed during the confrontation, although official statements from the Indian government have not yet been released to confirm these claims.

India and Pakistan are nearing the brink of a broader conflict after India launched strikes on both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, claiming to target "terrorist infrastructure" in response to last month's tourist attack in India-controlled Kashmir.

By Sabina Mammadli