India calls out China: Beijing’s missiles found in Pakistan’s arsenal against Indian forces

In a dramatic escalation of its diplomatic posture, India has directly named China as the supplier of advanced missiles used by Pakistan against Indian forces — marking the first official acknowledgment of Beijing’s material involvement in the ongoing conflict.

At a high-level briefing, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, presented visual proof of the Chinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missile fragments recovered from Indian territory, specifically from Hoshiarpur in Punjab. “You can see the pieces of it on the screen,” he stated, pointing to the relatively intact rear fuselage of the PL-15, a cutting-edge missile developed by China’s Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC).

The Indian Armed Forces have also intercepted and neutralized Turkish-supplied Byker YIHA III Kamikaze drones — indicating a broadening scope of foreign military technology embedded in Pakistan’s aerial campaign.

While India has long tracked the deepening Sino-Pak military partnership, this is the first time it has publicly accused China of directly supplying lethal hardware used in hostile action against Indian forces. Previously, India had only named Turkish drones in its disclosures.

The PL-15, a radar-guided missile with variants capable of ranges between 145 km to over 300 km, is integrated with Pakistan’s most advanced fighter jets — the JF-17 Block III and the Chinese-made J-10CE. According to Indian intelligence, Pakistan now possesses around 70 aircraft capable of launching these missiles.

Crucially, Indian officials suggest that the PL-15E missiles used may have been sourced directly from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), raising the stakes for Beijing amid its recent pledges of regional peacebuilding.

The announcement comes on the heels of a tenuous ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives. The attack, initially claimed by The Resistance Front, has ignited a chain of diplomatic engagements involving key international stakeholders — including China.

Beijing has since publicly condemned the Pahalgam attack and positioned itself as a potential mediator. “War is not India’s choice,” National Security Advisor Ajit Doval told Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi, according to a statement by China’s Foreign Ministry. Wang echoed support for peace, stating, “India and Pakistan are neighbors that cannot be moved away... China hopes both sides will remain calm and restrained.”

Yet, India's naming of China now casts a long shadow over Beijing’s perceived neutrality. Observers point to China's role in softening the UN Security Council’s statement on the Pahalgam attack — where no group was named — as further evidence of Beijing shielding Pakistan diplomatically, while simultaneously arming it militarily.

By breaking its silence, New Delhi has sent an unmistakable signal to Beijing: any future role as a mediator must reckon with the reality of its complicity on the battlefield.