Pakistan’s military has claimed that it shot down five Indian Air Force jets and a drone in response to India’s missile strikes on alleged terrorist infrastructure, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India has categorically denied these claims, asserting that no aircraft were lost and labeling Pakistan’s assertions as part of a misinformation campaign.
The Pakistani military, through its Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing, stated that the downed aircraft included three French-made Rafale jets, one MiG-29, and one Sukhoi Su-30, with debris from a combat drone reportedly falling in Indian territory. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing Parliament, lauded the Pakistan Air Force for its “swift response” to India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on May 7. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated the claim, stating the jets were targeted in self-defense after violating Pakistani airspace. A video released by Pakistani officials showed smoke rising from an alleged crash site, though independent verification of the footage remains unavailable.
India’s Ministry of Defense has dismissed Pakistan’s claims, stating that all aircraft involved in Operation Sindoor returned safely to their bases. Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, emphasized that the strikes were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” targeting terrorist camps linked to a April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. The Indian government has accused Pakistan of spreading false narratives, with the Press Information Bureau (PIB) debunking viral images of a supposed Rafale jet crash near Bahawalpur as old and unrelated.
Reports from Reuters noted that three Indian fighter jets crashed in Jammu and Kashmir on May 7, hours after the strikes, according to local government sources. However, India has not confirmed these incidents as combat losses, and no connection to Pakistan’s claims has been officially acknowledged. Social media posts on X have fueled speculation, with some citing French-language markings on debris as evidence of downed Rafale or Mirage 2000 jets, though BBC Verify and other fact-checkers have debunked related footage as misleading or outdated.
The conflicting narratives have intensified the ongoing crisis, with Pakistan describing India’s strikes as an “act of war” that killed 31 civilians, including women and children, in Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan’s National Security Committee has vowed a “befitting response” at a time and place of its choosing, while India maintains that no civilian or military infrastructure was targeted.
International concern is mounting, with the UN, EU, China, and Russia urging restraint to avoid further escalation. U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to mediate, while analysts warn that unverified claims, such as Pakistan’s jet-downing assertions, risk fueling misinformation and public unrest. Posts on X reflect divided sentiments, with some Pakistani users celebrating the military’s claims and Indian users dismissing them as propaganda, pointing to a lack of concrete evidence.
As both nations remain on high alert, the absence of independent confirmation of Pakistan’s claims and India’s steadfast denials underscore the volatile information war accompanying the physical conflict. The situation remains fluid, with fears of further retaliation looming large.
