Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh addresses a press conference, in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Friday said that terrorist groups in Pakistan are shifting their bases deep inside the country following Operation Sindoor, but India has the capability to target them accurately if required.On reports of terrorist groups moving headquarters inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Air Chief said, “Obviously, it was expected…”The IAF chief added, “So, we are also getting such news that their hideouts are changing and now they will probably build smaller structures instead of big structures.”Singh, addressing the press conference in the national capital, further said that India can strike the terror hideouts even if they are built deep inside Pakistan. “But if intelligence is available, then we now have the capability to go deep inside any of their hideouts with absolutely accurate targeting. We can destroy them and their hideouts. So, our options have not changed. Our options will remain the same in this matter.“Speaking about the impact of Operation Sindoor on Pakistan, Singh said, “…As far as Pakistan’s losses are concerned…we have struck a large number of their airfields and we struck a large number of installations.” The IAF chief said that 4 to 5 Pakistani fighter jets, most likely F-16s, were destroyed on the ground during air strikes carried out as part of Operation Sindoor. “Because of these strikes, radars at least four places, command and control centres at two places, runways of course damaged at two places, then three of their hangars in three different stations have been damaged…we have signs of one C-130 class of aircraft...and at least 4 to 5 fighter aircraft, most likely F-16, because that place happened to be F-16 with whatever was under maintenance at that time. Along with that, one SAM system has been destroyed…We have clear evidence of one long-range strike, which I talked about more than 300 km, which happened to be either an AEW&C or a SIGINT aircraft, along with that five high-tech fighters between F-16 and JF-17 class this is what our system tells us,” the IAF chief said.India launched Operation Sindoor in May this year after the Pahalgam terror attack. The armed forces struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir through precision strikes. India also hit multiple Pakistani airbases after Islamabad attempted an escalation.
