A Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force has reportedly been shot down for the first time in combat, according to sources cited by CNN, marking a significant and symbolic development in the ongoing escalation between India and Pakistan.
A senior French intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to CNN that one Indian Rafale was downed by Pakistan’s air defenses, making it the first known combat loss of the French-built multirole fighter.
The reported incident follows massive cross-border airstrikes between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan has claimed it shot down five Indian aircraft overnight, including three Rafales, as part of a military response to Indian airstrikes that targeted locations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bahawalpur, Shakargarh, and Sialkot.
While Indian authorities have not officially commented, photos circulating from the wreckage site in Indian-administered Kashmir appear to show airframe components with markings consistent with Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of the Rafale. However, analysts have warned that such markings do not offer conclusive proof without further forensic evidence.
The French government is investigating whether more than one Rafale may have been downed during the exchange, according to the same intelligence source.
The Rafale, a twin-engine 4.5-generation combat aircraft, is equipped with a 30mm cannon, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, precision-guided munitions, and advanced electronic warfare systems. India purchased 36 Rafales from France’s Dassault Aviation, with deliveries completed in 2022.
The downing of the aircraft—if confirmed—would mark a major moment in the Rafale's operational history and could raise questions about the aircraft’s survivability in contested environments, as well as about India’s deployment and tactical planning.
The latest clash between India and Pakistan erupted after India conducted airstrikes it said were aimed at terrorist infrastructure on Pakistani soil. Pakistan responded with retaliatory strikes and counter-air operations, including claimed downings of Indian jets and drones.
As tensions continue to rise, calls for de-escalation have been issued by multiple international actors, but both New Delhi and Islamabad have so far maintained firm postures, with each side accusing the other of provocation.
This incident could signal a dangerous new phase in Indo-Pakistani hostilities, drawing in broader geopolitical scrutiny from allies and arms suppliers alike.
U.S. authorities have arrested a California woman accused of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China and surveilling the son of Taiwan&rs...
More than 1.2 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan so far in 2026, with more than 500,000 d...
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio B...
The co-pilot of Israel bound flydubai flight attempted to carry out a “terrorist attack” with an axe during the flight, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday.
Hammam al-Hammami, the Flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain of an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday in a suspected terrorist attack, was banned from flying by Oman over concerns about his radical views, U.S. media reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
A major bridge across the Dnipro river in Kyiv was hit in a Russian air attack on Saturday, the city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko said, as strikes on the capital's infrastructure continue.
U.S. authorities have arrested a California woman accused of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China and surveilling the son of Taiwan’s president, the FBI said.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
The woman who has accused members of a Cornell University fraternity of drugging and raping her has received threats aimed at pressuring her to abandon her legal case, according to her attorney, as public scrutiny of the university's handling of the allegations continues to grow.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
A committee overseeing the Mecca defence pact between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will meet in Riyadh on Monday, 5 October, to discuss regional developments and the alliance’s institutionalisation, Türkiye's foreign ministry said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment