Washington Post verifies two French-made Indian fighter jets shot down: report

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The Washington Post has verified visual evidence that two French-made Indian fighter aircraft were shot down by the Pakistan Air Force, noting that India has neither confirmed nor denied Pakistan’s claims that it shot the aircraft down.

The paper based its findings on analyses by former US Army explosive ordnance disposal technician Trevor Ball, Etienne Marcuz, an associate fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research and an anonymous French air power expert.

“In a review of more than a dozen images and videos posted online in the aftermath of the strikes, The Post verified debris consistent with at least two French-made fighter jets flown by the Indian Air Force — a Rafale and a Mirage 2000,” The Post reported.

“The loss of multiple fighter jets would represent the worst setback in battle for India’s air force in recent memory; in 2019, during the last round of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours, India acknowledged one of its jets was shot down by Pakistan.”

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An image of wreckage from a downed Indian Rafale fighter jet. — The Washington Post
An image of wreckage from a downed Indian Rafale fighter jet. — The Washington Post

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