ISLAMABAD: Indian government sources have confirmed that three Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets crashed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Wednesday, shortly after India conducted missile strikes on civilian areas inside Pakistan.
The confirmation, reported by Reuters and based on information from four local officials, stated that all three pilots survived and were hospitalized.
However, shortly after the reports emerged, The Hindu — one of India’s most prominent English-language newspapers — published an article attributing the crashes to Pakistani retaliatory action. The article was quickly removed from the paper’s website and its official X (formerly Twitter) account, fueling speculation of an attempted media blackout or political pressure to suppress the narrative.
The timing of the crashes coincided with Pakistan’s response to India’s unprovoked overnight airstrikes that targeted six locations and killed 26 civilians, including women and children. Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed the Pakistan Air Force had downed five Indian jets and a combat drone.
Locals in Pulwama district’s Wuyan village, where at least one of the crashes occurred, described seeing aircraft debris scattered across open fields. Photos circulated on social media appeared to show fragments of fuselage and other components — although their authenticity has not been independently verified by Reuters.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s armed forces reported the downing of an additional Indian drone in the Kotli sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir — the third such interception in a matter of hours, following similar incidents in Barnala and Shakargarh.
The lack of a formal statement from India’s Ministry of Defence, combined with the retraction of media coverage, has raised questions about transparency and the extent of damage suffered during the escalating conflict. Analysts have pointed to growing efforts within India to tightly control the narrative amid rising military and diplomatic pressure.
Pakistan has reiterated its commitment to measured defense while warning that any further aggression will be met with firm retaliation. The situation remains volatile along the Line of Control (LoC), with both sides maintaining high alert.
