Fact Check: No Indian Rafale Jet Downed in Operation Sindoor, Confirms PIB

NEW DELHI — The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has categorically dismissed viral claims emerging from Pakistani media and social platforms that allege the Pakistan Air Force shot down an Indian Rafale fighter jet amid India's recent Operation Sindoor airstrikes.

The misinformation surfaced after the Indian Army conducted precision strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), targeting facilities operated by groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

In the wake of the operation, several Pakistani accounts, some affiliated with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), spread unverified reports of retaliatory Pakistani strikes on 15 Indian sites—including the Srinagar Airbase—and shared visuals purporting to show destroyed Indian military infrastructure.

PIB’s fact-checking unit responded swiftly, stating that no Rafale jet had been downed and that widely shared images and videos were either old, unrelated, or manipulated. “The image of a crashed aircraft being circulated is not from Operation Sindoor,” the bureau clarified.

A specific video claiming to show an attack on the Srinagar Airbase was also debunked. PIB confirmed that the footage actually showed sectarian clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from 2024. “The video is neither recent nor from Indian territory,” the statement read, urging the public to rely only on official sources.

The Indian government described the operation as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” emphasizing that it deliberately avoided targeting Pakistani military installations. Four terror camps were hit within Pakistan, while five were neutralized in PoK.

As tensions simmer, authorities warn against the dangers of misinformation, calling on citizens to verify claims through trusted government channels.