French Intelligence Confirms First Indian Rafale Jet Downed by Pakistan’s J-10 Jets; Five IAF Aircraft Claimed Downed

A senior French intelligence official has confirmed to CNN that the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost at least one Rafale fighter jet to Pakistan, marking the first combat loss of the French-made aircraft since it entered service in 2001. Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian jets, including three Rafales, during recent aerial engagements near the border. France is currently investigating whether additional Rafale jets were downed. U.S. officials have corroborated that at least one Indian jet shot down was a Rafale and confirmed that Pakistan's Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets were responsible for downing at least two Indian aircraft. India has begun acknowledging the loss of several fighter jets amid the ongoing conflict, referred to as 'Operation Sindoor' by military experts. Recovery operations for the downed Rafale near Bahawalpur are underway, with debris being retrieved and intelligence tracking the incident.