WASHINGTON: A French manufacturer’s label found on aircraft wreckage in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) appears to support Pakistan’s claim of downing Indian Rafale fighter jets, according to US media outlet CNN.
The report stated that images of the debris show a label from Le Bozec et Gautier, a French filtration company that is a subsidiary of Minnesota-based Donaldson Company. The component is believed to be from a Rafale aircraft, bolstering Pakistan’s assertion that it shot down three such jets during the latest escalation.
Reuters, quoting four Indian government sources, also confirmed that three Indian fighter jets crashed in IIOJK on Wednesday, shortly after India carried out missile strikes inside Pakistan. The strikes targeted six locations, killing 26 civilians and injuring 46, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
All three Indian pilots were reportedly hospitalized. Local residents in Pulwama district’s Wuyan village described seeing debris scattered across fields. Images circulated online showed large metallic parts, though Reuters has not independently verified them.
Pakistan’s military has confirmed the downing of five Indian jets—three Rafales, one Su-30, and one MiG-29—as well as three drones in separate incidents in Kotli, Barnala, and Shakargarh sectors. According to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, the jets were taken down in retaliation for India’s cross-border strikes.
ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said India launched 24 airstrikes from within its own airspace under “Operation Sindoor,” prompting a swift Pakistani response.
In a now-deleted report, India’s newspaper The Hindu briefly acknowledged the loss of three fighter jets, attributing them to Pakistani action. The article was later removed from both the website and the publication’s official social media.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Tarar said the air engagements occurred over Akhnoor, Ambala, Barnala, and Jammu. “We also shot down quadcopters and a large drone,” he said, noting the situation remains active.
The Rafale, considered a key part of India’s military modernization, was acquired from France to reduce dependency on Russian platforms. Just last month, India signed a new deal with Dassault Aviation to procure 26 additional Rafale jets for its navy.
Pakistan has dismissed Indian media claims of having damaged any Pakistani aircraft as “fabricated,” with PTV confirming that no Pakistan Air Force jets were hit in the exchange.
