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On the night of May 6-7, an intense aerial clash erupted between India and Pakistan, marking what CNN called the longest dogfight in their military history.
The battle involved 125 fighter jets and lasted over an hour, with both air forces remaining inside their respective airspaces.
International media is closely tracking the rising India-Pakistan conflict, with France’s top newspaper Le Monde describing the loss of Indian Rafale jets to Pakistani forces as a “major embarrassment” and a “strategic setback” for New Delhi.
The newspaper report stated that India has admitted to losing at least three fighter jets, with one of them confirmed as a French-made Rafale, which was later removed by the Indian media and released a statement.
The paper criticized India’s recent military strike as “poorly executed”, revealing gaps in planning, training, and air capabilities.
Le Monde further recalled that India purchased 36 Rafale fighter jets from France for €8 billion in 2016, but a 2024 report by India’s Auditor General had already flagged technical flaws and training shortfalls in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The Rafale jet loss, confirmed by global outlets including Le Monde and BBC Verify, is seen as a major blow to the Indian Air Force’s reputation.
Latest updates on Pakistan India War
On the other hand, US intelligence sources confirmed to CNN and Reuters that Pakistan used Chinese-made J-10 jets to shoot down at least one Indian Rafale, using air-to-air missiles.
US officials said there was “high confidence” in the assessment, though India has yet to officially admit to any aircraft losses.
Meanwhile, BBC Verify authenticated videos showing wreckage of what appears to be an Indian Rafale jet near Bathinda, Punjab.
One video shows troops collecting debris marked with “BS001” and “Rafale”, adding weight to Pakistan’s claim of shooting down three of the advanced fighters.
British risk analyst Justin Crump noted one missile seen in the video matches French air-to-air systems used on Mirage 2000 and Rafale jets.
Global defence experts stated that the incident has damaged India’s military credibility, especially given the Modi government’s reluctance to publicly acknowledge losses.
