A senior French intelligence official told CNN that one Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jet was shot down by Pakistan. This is the first time one of the advanced French-made Rafale jets has been lost in combat.
Earlier, Pakistan claimed that it shot down five Indian Air Force jets, including three Rafales, as retaliation for Indian airstrikes. Indian officials have not responded to this claim yet.
The French official also mentioned that French authorities are investigating if Pakistan shot down more than one Rafale jet overnight.
India’s Embassy in China rejected the viral claim by Global Times that Pakistan had shot down Indian jets, calling it false and misleading. The embassy stated that no missile strikes or aerial losses took place and urged the public not to believe such fake news.
Note: Dassault Aviation, the French maker of the Rafale jet, has not replied to CNN’s requests for comment. French military has not released an official statement regarding the incident.
