US officials confirm Pakistan downed at least two Indian jets, including Rafale

Both officials stressed that Pakistan did not use US-supplied F-16s in the shootdowns.

Listen to article

A top Chinese-made Pakistani fighter shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, two US officials told Reuters, marking a major milestone for Beijing’s advanced fighter jet.

One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was high confidence that Pakistan had used the Chinese-made J-10 aircraft to launch air-to-air missiles against Indian fighter jets - bringing down at least two.

Another official said at least one Indian jet that was shot down was a French-made Rafale fighter aircraft. Delhi has not acknowledged the loss of any of its planes and instead claimed it carried out successful strikes inside Pakistan.

Read more: French intelligence official confirms downing of Rafale by Pakistan: CNN

In France, Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation and the MBDA consortium, which makes the Meteor air-to-air missile, could not immediately be reached for comment on a public holiday.

Pakistan military brought down five Indian Air Force jets, including three Rafale, in retaliation following Indian missile attacks, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in his press conference on Wednesday morning.

Pakistan shot down five Indian jets, including three Rafale, one MiG-21, and one SU-30, he informed.

“At no time, any of their [Indian] aircraft were allowed to enter into Pakistan’s airspace and also at no time, none of Pakistan’s aircraft went into Indian airspace,” he said.

Read more: Pakistan downs five Indian fighter jets in retaliation for India's missile attack

A high-ranking French intelligence official disclosed to CNN on Wednesday that Pakistan had successfully downed an Indian Air Force Rafale jet, in what would be the first combat loss of the sophisticated French-built warplane.

The French official stated that authorities were still “examining possible further losses” but confirmed one Rafale had been struck by Pakistani forces.

Tensions between the two countries rose after India blamed Pakistan for an attack on tourists that killed 26 people in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.