Amid intense cross-border hostilities, Indian Air Defence shoots down three Pakistani jets as missile attacks and blackout orders sweep Jammu, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
New Delhi, May 8, 2025 —
In a significant escalation of aerial hostilities, the Indian Armed Forces on Thursday night shot down one Pakistani F-16 and two JF-17 fighter jets in a retaliatory operation following Pakistan’s large-scale missile and drone assault on Indian military installations.
The air-to-air engagement marked the most intense dogfight in the region since Balakot in 2019. According to sources, the Pakistani jets were intercepted and neutralized near the Line of Control shortly after they entered Indian airspace.
Also Read: India Foils Missile & Drone Attack On 3 Military Bases, Confirms Zero Losses
Air War Unfolds Over Jammu, Punjab
The dogfight followed Pakistan’s failed missile strike attempts on 15 Indian cities, including Jammu, Srinagar, Amritsar, and Pathankot. Around 9 PM, air raid sirens blared across Jammu, accompanied by a complete power blackout, while missiles lit up the night sky.
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Eight Pakistani missiles targeting Indian Army zones in RS Pura, Arnia, Samba, and Hiranagar were successfully intercepted mid-air by India’s advanced air defence network.
Cellphone videos captured by residents in Jammu and Pathankot showed dazzling aerial counterstrikes, as interceptor missiles destroyed incoming threats in real time.
Strategic Alert Across Northern India
As a defensive measure, widespread blackouts were enforced in Chandigarh, Mohali, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, and parts of Rajasthan, including Jaisalmer and Barmer. The objective: deny visibility to enemy aircraft and drones.
Also Read: India Foils Missile & Drone Attack On 3 Military Bases, Confirms Zero Losses
On-ground sources confirmed cellphone services were disrupted in multiple areas to prevent the spread of misinformation and to maintain operational secrecy.
Battlefield Expands: What’s Next
The aerial standoff underscores the intensifying fallout of Operation Sindoor, India’s surgical strikes on nine terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK, conducted in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead.
Indian air defence units have deployed a range of systems including the S-400, L-70 guns, Schilka, and ZSU-23 anti-aircraft weapons, with Israeli HARPY drones further targeting Pakistani radar installations.
Tags:
India Pakistan Conflict, F-16 Shot Down, JF-17 Jets, Operation Sindoor, Indian Air Defence, Cross-border Tensions, Air Raid, Jammu Blackout, Pakistan Missile Attack, Pathankot Alert, OperationSindoor,