In a bold response to India’s midnight assault, Pakistan asserted air superiority by shooting down five Indian warplanes. Among them were three Rafale jets, marking the first confirmed combat losses of the French-built aircraft.
Two other Indian aircraft — a Su-30MKI and a MiG-29 Fulcrum — were also destroyed as they attempted to retreat.
CNN, quoting a senior French intelligence source, reported that Pakistan successfully downed one Rafale jet from the Indian Air Force. “This could be the first combat loss of the sophisticated French-made warplane,” the official stated.
India has not yet issued any response to the report.
The French official also told CNN that authorities in Paris were investigating if more than one Rafale had been hit in the Pakistani strike.
Photos circulating from the crash site in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) show jet debris, some parts bearing the logo of a French manufacturer. Experts, however, remain cautious. They say the wreckage is difficult to verify and cannot yet be conclusively linked to a Rafale fighter jet.
According to CNN, Dassault Aviation — the maker of the aircraft — has not responded to media inquiries.
The Rafale jets in question are 10-ton, twin-engine multirole aircraft. They are equipped with air-to-air missiles, cruise missiles, laser-guided bombs, and a 30mm cannon. These high-end fighters are designed for both air combat and ground strikes.
India had 36 of these Rafale jets in its fleet, all bought from Dassault. Tensions between the two nuclear rivals rose sharply after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, IIOJK, where 26 people were killed.
Despite mounting questions, the French military has not made any official statement regarding the possible downing of its jet.
Early Wednesday morning, India launched strikes on several targets in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan strongly condemned the offensive, calling it a “blatant act of war.”
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), India targeted six civilian locations, including mosques and hydropower sites. These strikes martyred 31 civilians and injured 57 others.
At a press conference on Wednesday, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that all Pakistan Air Force jets returned safely after intercepting Indian aircraft.
Pakistani forces also hit back hard. They destroyed multiple enemy posts across several sectors on the Line of Control. Fierce exchanges of fire were reported, with Pakistan Army troops directly engaging Indian positions.
The destruction of the Rafale jets adds a dramatic twist to the conflict. It also casts doubt on the operational supremacy of India’s most expensive and advanced fighter plane.
