Over 100 Fighter Jets Clash in Massive India-Pakistan Aerial Dogfight PAF Confirms
In what has been described as one of the largest aerial confrontations in recent global military history, more than 100 fighter jets from India and Pakistan were involved in a high-intensity air battle over two days, May 6 and 7, Pakistani military officials have confirmed. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF), in a Friday press briefing in Islamabad, revealed that a staggering 125 fighter aircraft from both nations were mobilised during the engagement, which reportedly lasted over one hour. A senior security source told CNN that missile exchanges occurred at distances of up to 160 kilometres (100 miles), though both air forces remained within their own airspaces. The confrontation comes amid heightened regional tensions, particularly following a recent attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Despite the intensity of the skirmish, experts say both sides appeared keen to avoid escalation similar to the 2019 crisis that saw an Indian pilot captured and paraded on Pakistani television. PAF officials claimed that at least five Indian aircraft were downed, including one hit by a Pakistan ground-based air defence system. Pakistan also confirmed the deployment of its Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles during the engagement. Adding to the drama, PAF released intercepted cockpit audio allegedly from an Indian Rafale formation, in which a voice identified by Pakistani intelligence as an Indian Wing Commander can be heard frantically coordinating his unit amid what sounded like mid-battle confusion and damage control. Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, presenting the audio at the press conference, stated: “The call sign is Godzilla… Those animals are extinct, so this one [jet] also got extinct.” Ahmed emphasized that while India’s Rafale jets were a primary target, Pakistan exercised restraint, potentially avoiding further escalation. “It is not the equipment that matters all the time,” he said. “It is the training, it is the leadership that gives you the direction.” As of now, the Indian Air Force has not officially confirmed or denied the reported losses, and Indian authorities have not released a formal statement on the incident. The massive dogfight is likely to have far-reaching diplomatic and strategic implications as both nuclear-armed nations tread a precarious line between deterrence and confrontation. Would you like this formatted as a press release or for social media distribution?