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.
The Taliban leadership in Afghanistan opted out of a major regional meeting held in Iran’s capital Tehran on Sunday....
China has announced plans to fully cover childbirth-related costs for families as authorities move to incentivise young couples to have more children....
Oil prices are rising worldwide as investors assess supply risks linked to growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela after the former s...
UNESCO is preparing to celebrate the first ever World Turkic Language Family Day on 15 December, following a decision by UNESCO’s General Conference...
Azerbaijan and Pakistan are bolstering bilateral ties and cooperation across energy, defence, trade and regional connectivity. This was highlighted at...
Azerbaijan and Pakistan are bolstering bilateral ties and cooperation across energy, defence, trade and regional connectivity. This was highlighted at a high-level meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, 14 December.
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held talks on Friday during the International Peace and Trust Forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, focusing on bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues
Pakistan and China are conducting a joint counterterrorism exercise, Warrior IX, to strengthen military cooperation. The drill comes at a time of renewed regional instability, with analysts saying it underscores both countries’ determination to deepen security ties.
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Oil prices are rising worldwide as investors assess supply risks linked to growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela after the former seized an oil tanker Skipper on 10 December, a move Caracas calls “international piracy”.
Syria has arrested five people suspected of having links to a deadly attack on a joint U.S.–Syrian convoy in the central town of Palmyra on Saturday, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
The head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6, has warned that Russia "remains an aggressive and expansionist threat", vowing sustained support for Ukraine and calling for greater use of technology to protect UK security.
Odesa residents remained without power for a third straight day on Monday (15 December) after a Russian missile and drone strike crippled the power grid on Saturday (13 December).
Fighting along the Thailand–Cambodia border has entered a fifth consecutive day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming he had brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment