Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian jets on May 7, 2025 during the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades, but an image of the burning wreckage of an aircraft widely shared online predates the current crisis.

Open-source information suggests that the Indian Air Force likely suffered damage during the attack, potentially including the loss of several aircraft.

Pakistan’s air defense likely shot down an Indian Rafale fighter jet. This is the first time such an aircraft has been lost in combat, CNN reports. A senior French intelligence official, speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity,