ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): At least one Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) was downed by Pakistan, a high-ranking French intelligence official told CNN, in what would mark the first time that one of the sophisticated French-made warplanes has been lost in combat.
According to the report, the French authorities were looking into whether more than one Rafale jets were shot down by Pakistan overnight.
The development came after Pakistan on Wednesday claimed to have shot down five Indian Air Force jets in retaliation for Indian strikes, including three Rafales. Indian officials are yet to respond to the claim.
“Pictures taken of parts of an aircraft that crashed in Indian-administered Kashmir show the label of a French manufacturer, but experts said it was not possible to say whether the part came from a Rafale aircraft,” the American news outlet reported.
CNN added that Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of the jet, has not responded to its requests for comment.
