The New York Times has reported that India lost at least two aircraft, possibly including Rafale fighter jets, during recent airstrikes on Pakistani territory. The operation marked a serious escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
According to the report, based on accounts from officials and eyewitnesses, two Indian aircraft were seen crashing — one in Indian-occupied Kashmir and another in India’s Punjab state. Debris from both sites was reportedly visible to locals. The New York Times cited three Indian officials who confirmed aircraft losses, although they offered limited details and spoke anonymously.
The newspaper further noted that photographic evidence from the crash site in Wuyan, located in Indian-occupied Kashmir, showed what was likely an external fuel tank from a Rafale or Mirage fighter jet — both of which are operated by the Indian Air Force and manufactured by Dassault Aviation.
India had earlier announced that it had carried out multiple airstrikes inside Pakistan, portraying the actions as retaliation for a recent attack in occupied Kashmir that resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. India claimed the strikes were a success and part of a broader campaign of vengeance.
In response, Pakistan denounced the Indian strikes as a “blatant and unprovoked act of war” and a direct violation of its sovereignty. Pakistani military officials said they had launched a “measured but forceful” counter-response, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stating that Pakistani forces had shot down five Indian aircraft — a claim that has yet to be independently verified.
The incident has further inflamed long-standing tensions over the Kashmir conflict, a disputed region that has led to multiple wars between the two countries since the partition of British India in 1947.
The recent Indian missile strikes also targeted several civilian areas inside Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Kotli, Bagh, Shakargarh, and Muridke, raising concerns of an expanding military confrontation.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the developments, calling the escalation “a shame” and expressing hope for a swift end to hostilities. Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval reportedly briefed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly after the strikes.
Meanwhile, the United Nations called for restraint. A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both nations to avoid further military escalation, warning that “the world cannot afford a confrontation between India and Pakistan.”
