Fact Check: No, Pakistan’s J-10C Did Not Shoot Down an Indian Rafale Over the LoC

Claim: Pakistan’s J-10C fighter jet shot down an Indian Rafale aircraft over the Line of Control (LoC). After a fierce dogfight in the air, the enemy aircraft was destroyed.

Fact Check

This claim is false. A coordinated review of reliable sources shows that no Indian Rafale has been downed by Pakistani aircraft, nor has any such engagement been officially acknowledged. First, in response to viral social-media videos purporting to show a downed Rafale, India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) explicitly stated that “Pakistan Army has NOT shot down any Indian fighter jet” and that the footage circulating is actually from a June 2024 crash of an Indian Su-30MKI Sukhoi during a test flight in Maharashtra.

Mainstream news agencies likewise report no incident of a Rafale being shot down. Reuters, in its May 5 analysis of India–Pakistan military postures, makes no mention of any such air-to-air kill, underscoring that while both sides have modernized fleets, no dogfight involving J-10Cs and Rafales has been documented.

Moreover, Pakistan’s own military spokespersons and official channels have not released any statement claiming the downing of a Rafale. A widely shared post by Pakistan’s DG-ISPR made no reference to Rafale shoot-downs, focusing instead on heightened border alerts following recent unrest ﹘ further evidence that the dramatic claim lacks any basis in official communications.

Conclusion

The assertion that a Pakistani J-10C shot down an Indian Rafale over the LoC is baseless. No credible evidence—official or open-source—exists to substantiate the dogfight or shoot-down claim.