Islamabad, May 8, 2025: BBC Verify has authenticated several videos that appear to show the wreckage of Indian Air Force jets, including a French-made Rafale fighter.
The footage, originally circulating on social media, has been geolocated and verified by the BBC.
One of the clips, located near Bathinda in Punjab, shows military personnel collecting debris from the crash site.
The videos, shot at different times, include footage from the crash scene, with one clip showing debris scattered across a field and another capturing a projectile igniting in the sky before it crashes into the ground.
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According to Justin Crump, a former British Army officer and head of the risk intelligence firm Sibylline, the wreckage suggests the presence of a French air-to-air missile.
This type of missile is typically used on both the Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighter jets, which are part of the Indian Air Force’s arsenal.
Additional footage circulating online shows a tail fin marked with “BS001” and “Rafale,” further corroborating the claim that the wreckage belongs to an Indian Rafale jet.
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BBC Verify conducted a reverse image search, which did not reveal any older versions of the image, lending further credibility to the findings.
The incident, which appears to involve a crash of high-value military equipment, has raised questions about the ongoing conflict in the region, though the exact cause of the crash remains unclear.
Efforts to gather more information and clarify the circumstances surrounding the event are ongoing.
The footage confirms the Indian Air Force’s use of the Rafale jets in operations but also highlights the risks involved in military engagements, especially in volatile regions like those bordering India and Pakistan.
