Pakistan details chronology of shooting down Indian Rafale jet
JAKARTA – The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has laid out a chronology of events in which it claims to have shot down several Indian fighter jets, including the advanced Rafale, during an aerial battle lasting over an hour.
Citing Express News, at a press conference on Friday (9/5), attended by Vice Air Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, the Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), and representatives of the Pakistan Navy, the PAF stated that the battle began when Indian Rafale jets launched high-speed missiles—three of which reportedly fell within Indian territory.
One missile was said to have been directed at Pakistan but was successfully intercepted by PAF radar systems. Ahmed criticised Indian media coverage, particularly regarding the PL-15 missile, calling their visual depictions laughable. “Even schoolchildren at science fairs could do better,” he quipped.
Within two minutes of the Indian missile launch, the PAF launched a counterstrike. Ahmed described the engagement as a “shoot or be shot” scenario, highlighting the critical need for a rapid response.
He clarified that the encounter was not a close-range dogfight. According to the PAF, the operation led to the downing of multiple Indian jets: one Rafale near Srinagar (85.3 km from the Line of Control), another near Jammu (11.27 km from the LoC), one near Bathinda (37 km from the border), as well as MiG-29 and SU-30 jets in other locations.
Ahmed asserted that the PAF possesses comprehensive data confirming the destruction of these Indian aircraft.
India, however, swiftly rejected the claims. At a press conference on Tuesday (13/5), Indian Air Marshal AK Bharti acknowledged some losses in the engagement but insisted that all Indian pilots returned safely.
His statement also rebutted social media rumours circulating in Pakistan that claimed India’s first female Rafale pilot, Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, had been captured alive by the Pakistani military.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry issued a formal statement on Tuesday (12/5), confirming that no Indian pilot was in Pakistani custody and dismissed the reports as social media misinformation.
This incident rekindles a long history of pilot captures between the two nations dating back to 1959.
That year, Pakistan shot down an Indian Canberra reconnaissance aircraft piloted by Squadron Leader J.C. Sengupta with navigator Flt Lt. S.N. Rampal. The two were detained and repatriated the following day after allegedly conducting a surveillance mission over Pakistani territory.
Since then, both India and Pakistan have detained enemy pilots during various conflicts, including the wars of 1965 and 1971, the Kargil conflict in 1999, and the 2019 capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. (EF/ZH)
