India’s Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said on Saturday that the air force shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large surveillance aircraft during Operation Sindoor, the four-day conflict with Pakistan from 7–10 May. Speaking at a defence conference in Bengaluru, Singh said the targets were engaged at distances of up to 300 kilometres, largely by the Russian-made S-400 air-defence system, and described the incident as the “largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill.” He also said Indian strikes damaged additional Pakistani aircraft, including F-16s, parked at two air bases. The remarks mark the first official Indian account of the scale of aerial losses inflicted on Pakistan in the May fighting, the worst confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades. India had previously confirmed limited skirmishes but had not provided numbers. Singh cited electronic tracking data to back his claim and credited clear political direction and unrestricted operational autonomy for the results. Pakistan rejected the statement within hours. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif called the account “dishonest” and invited both sides to open their aircraft inventories for independent inspection, warning that “comical narratives” could trigger miscalculation in a nuclearised environment. Islamabad maintains that none of its aircraft were lost and instead claims to have downed six Indian jets, including a Rafale, during the same period. U.S. officials earlier told Reuters they were unaware of any American-made F-16s inside Pakistan being hit, and the Pentagon has not commented on Singh’s latest assertion. Independent verification of either side’s claims remains unavailable, leaving the episode contested and underscoring the fragility of South Asian security three months after the clashes.