Pakistan shot down two IAF fighters; US officials told Reuters

A top Chinese-made Pakistani fighter plane shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, two US officials told Reuters, marking a major milestone for Beijing’s advanced fighter jet.

An Indian Air Force spokesperson said he had no comment when asked about the Reuters report.

The performance of a leading Chinese fighter jet against a Western rival is being closely watched in Washington for insights into how Beijing might fare in any showdown over Taiwan or the wider Indo-Pacific.

One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was high confidence that Pakistan had used the Chinese-made J-10 aircraft to launch air-to-air missiles against Indian fighter jets, bringing down at least two.

Another official said that at least one Indian jet that was shot down was a French-made Rafale fighter aircraft.

Both officials said Pakistan’s F-16 aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin, were not used in the shootdown.

Delhi has not acknowledged the loss of any of its planes and instead said it carried out successful strikes against what it said was “terrorist” infrastructure inside Pakistan.

World powers from the US to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world’s most dangerous and most populated nuclear flashpoint regions.

While Reuters reported on Wednesday that three Indian planes went down, citing local government officials in India, this marks the first Western confirmation that Pakistan’s Chinese-made jets were used in the shootdowns.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told Reuters on Thursday that the J-10 was used to shoot down three French-made Rafale planes, which were newly acquired by India.

Altogether, Pakistan says it downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat.

The Rafale and the model of the J-10 used by Pakistan are both considered generation 4.5 fighter jets, placing them at the leading edge of combat aircraft

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three major wars, as well as numerous smaller conflicts.

Blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir late on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspected was a Pakistani drone attack across the region on the second day of clashes between the neighbours.

Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 25 drones from India overnight, while India said its air defences had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets.

CNN adds to current debate
A senior US official has confirmed that the United States has assessed that Pakistan shot down at least one Indian jet during recent military tensions between the two countries, CNN reporter on Thursday.

The US official, with access to the latest intelligence, stated that while Washington had not yet confirmed which weapons system Pakistan employed, the available evidence suggests Pakistani forces were responsible for downing the aircraft.

India has not officially responded to the claim.

A high-ranking French intelligence official told CNN a day earlier that one Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jet had indeed been shot down, making it the first known combat loss of the advanced warplane. The French government is reportedly investigating whether additional Rafales were also brought down by Pakistani defences.

The Rafale, manufactured by Dassault Aviation, is considered one of the most sophisticated multi-role fighter jets in the world. Its loss in combat, especially at the hands of a regional rival, marks a significant development in South Asia’s escalating military standoff.

The air confrontation follows a series of border skirmishes and drone incursions amid mounting tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.