Deputy Chief of Air Staff Projects Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi on Wednesday said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) achieved an “8-0” outcome against the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Marka-e-Haq, saying at least eight Indian jets were shot down during the clashes in May last year
Ghazi provided a detailed rundown of the Marka-e-Haq operation on its first anniversary in a press conference alongside Inter-Services Public Relations Director General (ISPR DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Rear Admiral Shifaat Ali Khan.
On May 6-7 last year, India launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan on May 6, following an attack on tourists in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam town.
Pakistan, during the 87-hour conflict, downed eight Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafale, and dozens of drones.
The war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.
Ghazi said today’s briefing aimed to refresh memories regarding the operation, while mocking the “adversary” for changing its narrative because “they are trying to understand what has happened”.
He said PAF Chief Zaheer Ahmad Sidhu spearheaded the formulation of the operational response and later personally led the execution of the PAF strategy during the confrontation.
Speaking about the operation, Ghazi said the Pakistan Air Force immediately maintained a “defence and strong posture” alongside the highest level of alert with full-spectrum monitoring, including surveillance of enemy communications.
“We adopted a strong air defence posture to thwart any hostile adventure through combat air patrols, scrambles, and eyes on the sky all the time,” he said during the press conference.
Ghazi said the PAF integrated and operationalised its multi-domain assets during the operation, describing it as the first such implementation in warfare by the force.
He said the PAF observed aggressive IAF deployments, including the positioning of key assets and offensive weapon systems across the country alongside concealed deployments.
Ghazi said the PAF continuously monitored “each and every move” made by the IAF throughout the course of the confrontation.
Providing details of the “8-0” outcome, Ghazi said Pakistan shot down eight Indian fighter jets — four Rafale jets, one Su-30 aircraft, one MiG-29 aircraft, one Mirage 2000 aircraft and one “expensive” multi-role unmanned aerial system.
He further added that several additional Indian aircraft sustained damage during the confrontation to such an extent that they could not be repaired afterwards.
