Fact Check: Pakistan Army shoots down India’s Rafale fighter jets? No, video is old and unrelated
A video is circulating on social media, falsely claiming to show Rafale fighter jets shot down by the Pakistan Army.
By Md Mahfooz AlamPublished on : 29 April 2025 3:33 PM IST
Claim:The video shows Rafale fighter jets shot down by the Pakistan Army in the Poonch sector along the LoC.
Fact:False. The video is unrelated and shows a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crash that occurred in Maharashtra’s Nashik district in June 2024.
Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, a video is being widely shared on social media. It shows a fire burning in a green field, with thick smoke rising into the sky. Those sharing the clip claim that the Pakistan Army shot down Indian Rafale fighter jets.
One X user posted the video with the caption, “Pakistan Army has shot down Indian Rafale jets in the Poonch sector of the LoC.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found the claim to be false. The video actually shows the crash of an Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet in Maharashtra in 2024.
We found no credible reports confirming that the Pakistan Army shot down any Indian Rafale fighter jets. Had such an incident occurred, it would have been a major development widely reported by national and international media outlets.
Old video shared with a false claim
A reverse image search of keyframes from the video led us to a Facebook post dated June 4, 2024, which identified the aircraft as a Su-30MKI that crashed in Shirasgaon, Niphad sub-division.
We also found a longer version of the same video posted on June 4, 2024, by the X handle of Lokmat Times, along with a report published the same day.
According to the report, an Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI crashed near Shirasgaon in Nashik district during a test flight. Both pilots ejected safely, and no casualties were reported.
Further keyword searches led us to reports by The Hindu and NDTV, also dated June 4, 2024. They confirmed that the aircraft had taken off from Ozar, Maharashtra, after an overhaul by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and crashed due to a technical snag identified by the pilots. Both the pilot and co-pilot sustained minor injuries.
Hence, it is clear that the video in circulation is unrelated to current India-Pakistan tensions and does not show Rafale jets being shot down. It shows a Sukhoi crash in Maharashtra from June 2024. The claim is false.
Claim Review:The video shows Rafale fighter jets shot down by the Pakistan Army in the Poonch sector along the LoC.
Claimed By:Social Media users
Claim Reviewed By:NewsMeter
Claim Source:X
Claim Fact Check:False
Fact:False. The video is unrelated and shows a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crash that occurred in Maharashtra’s Nashik district in June 2024.
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