Fact Check: News report shows 5 Indian jets shot down by Pakistan? No, the video is edited
A video claiming that the Pakistan Air Force shot down an Indian jet using long-range missiles is going viral on social media.
By K Sherly Sharon
Claim:Pakistani J-10C aircraft shot down an Indian Jaguar using the long-range PL-15 missile. Indian media has confirmed the downing of five Indian jets by Pakistan
Fact:The image and videos show an IAF Jaguar jet crash in Gujarat on April 3, 2025. The video is edited using AI-generated audio and a Republic TV news template.
The Indian Armed Forces launched āOperation Sindoor,ā hitting nine terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, on May 7, 2025.
In this context, a purported Republic TV video report claiming that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down Indian jets is going viral on social media. The viral video shows an image of a crashed jet on the right, while several video clips showing the aftermath ā fire eruptions and rescue operations ā play on the left.
A Hindi voice-over is heard:
āBreaking News: India has lost its Jaguar jet during an attack on Pakistan. The Pakistani jet shot down the Indian aircraft while operating within its own territory. India carried out missile strikes targeting three areas inside Pakistan using its jets; however, not all jets managed to escape successfully, and Pakistan shot down an Indian Jaguar jet. The situation remains tense, and anything could happen.ā (Translated from Hindi)
The video was shared on X with the caption, āBREAKING: Pakistani J-10C aircraft have shot down an Indian Jaguar using the long range PL-15 missile. Indian media has confirmed the downing of the Jaguar by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). So far, the PAF has shot down five Indian jets.ā (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the viral claims are false. The video, with AI-generated audio, was edited to resemble a Republic TV news bulletin. We did not find any news reports by Republic TV confirming the claim made in the viral video.
Image of the crashed jet
A reverse image search of the image on the right side of the video clip showing a crashed jet led us to an April 3, 2025, news report published by India Today. The report was titled, āSharp dive, then fire lights up sky: Video captures IAF jet's crash in Jamnagarā. The report used the same image seen in the viral video.
The report credited PTI for the image and stated that it shows IAF personnel and locals near the debris of an IAF Jaguar fighter jet that crashed on April 2, 2025, in Jamnagar.
Another report from the same day by India Today, titled āAir Force pilot dies in Jaguar fighter jet crash in Gujarat, another injuredā, was hyperlinked in this report. It stated that the fighter jet, which crashed, was on a training mission. The incident took place around 9:30 p.m. on April 2 near Suvarda village, nearly 12 km from Jamnagar city.
An ABP Live article from the same day also used the image seen in the viral video in its report on the IAF Jaguar jet crash during a training mission.
The viral video also shows an āInShotā watermark in the bottom-right corner. InShot is a mobile video editing application. The viral video contains several clips showing the aftermath of the jet crash, fire, and rescue operations.
We also verified two video clips used in the viral video and found they were also from the Jamnagar fighter jet crash.
Video Clip 1
The clip shows several men searching in an area engulfed by fire.
The video clip was shared by an X user on 3 April with the caption, āFighter Jet Crashes in Jamnagar, Gujaratā¦ A fighter jet has crashed in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The aircraft broke into multiple pieces, and a massive fire erupted at the crash site. Flames and thick plumes of smoke can be seen from a great distance. More details awaited.ā
Video Clip 2
Another clip used in the viral video was also shared by IANS on X. The clip shows fire erupting near the crashed jet and the aftermath. It was uploaded on April 2 with the caption, āGujarat: A fighter jet crashed near Suvarna Road village in Jamnagar. Reports suggest two pilots were on board. A massive fire broke out at the crash site.ā
Another X video uploaded by IANS on 2 April shows the rescue operations and the fire dousing at the Jamnagar Jaguar jet crash site.
Note: The viral video also contains additional clips that were difficult to independently verify. NewsMeter could not confirm the origin or authenticity of those segments.
AI analysis
We partnered with the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) of the Misinformation Combat Alliance, of which NewsMeter is also a member, to analyse the viral videoās authenticity. Various AI-generated content and video manipulation detection tools were used in the process. The team found that the Hindi voiceover in the viral video was generated or manipulated using AI.
Results provided by different AI audio detection tools:
1. Hive AI - The audio track from 10-seconds to 40-seconds mark was flagged as "AI-generated" by Hive AI's audio classifier.
2. Deepfake-o-meter - The audio track was also run through the audio classifiers of Deepkfake-o-meter and 6 out of 7 audio classifiers found it to be generated or modified by AI.
3. Hiya - Found the audio track to be generated or modified by Al.
According to a Reuters report citing four local government sources, three Indian fighter jets crashed in Jammu and Kashmir on May 7, just hours after India announced airstrikes on nine sites it identified as Pakistanās terrorist infrastructures across the border. A Pakistani military spokesperson told Reuters that Pakistani forces had shot down five Indian aircraft.
However, until the time of filing this story, this claim has not been confirmed by Indian authorities.
The viral video was created using images and video clips from the Jamnagar IAF jet crash on April 2, 2025. An audio track in Hindi, either generated or manipulated using AI, was combined with the Republic TV video format to create the viral content. Therefore, NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false.
