A day after India launched airstrikes on what it claimed were “terrorist” sites inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the fog of war still hangs over much of the battle.
Pakistan’s leaders are touting a great victory by the country’s air force, saying five Indian fighter jets were shot down during an hour-long battle fought at ranges over 160 kilometers (100 miles).
India’s leaders are saying little in response to those Pakistani claims, though they say their attacks successfully hit multiple intended “terrorist” targets and showed what they said was video evidence of many of those strikes.
India has not acknowledged any aircraft losses, and the Pakistanis have yet to show any evidence proving they downed fighter jets. But a French Defense Ministry source said at least one of India’s newest and most-advanced warplanes – a French-made Rafale fighter jet – was lost in the battle.
Military analysts are cautious, noting Pakistan’s claims have not been confirmed. But India is also not refuting them.
A local resident and government official told CNN that an unidentified fighter aircraft had crashed on a school building in Indian-administered Kashmir, and photos published by AFP news agency showed aircraft wreckage lying in a field. But it was not immediately clear from the pictures of the wreckage who the aircraft belonged to and what brought it down.
CNN cannot independently verify the claim.
Some other claims of aircraft wreckage on the ground across the battlefield circulating on social media have been debunked as from old encounters, or not even from the region.
Pakistan’s latest claims certainly come with a bit of hyperbole.
A Pakistani source told CNN’s Nic Robertson dozens of fighter jets engaged in a “dogfight,” the likes of which have not been seen in the jet age.
Pakistan’s defense minister, gave a similar account, telling CNN: “These planes were downed in a dogfight. Missiles were fired by our planes, and they were shot down. Very simple.”
The term “dogfight” evokes “Top Gun” movie theatrics of fighters in close contact, swerving, diving and climbing to get out of missile lock from their adversaries.
The fight the Pakistan sources describe is far from that and more a long-range missile battle.
Modern jets are equipped with standoff missiles that can hit both ground and air targets from some 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in many cases, without ever having any visual contact with those targets.
Additionally, both Pakistan and India are equipped with sophisticated long-range surface-to-air missiles that could be fired well into the other’s territory to thwart any oncoming attack.
Pakistan’s claims of a stout air defense system defeating India will be somewhat undermined if the videos India showed at a briefing on Wednesday are authentic.
What’s likely is that pieces of the claims of both sides are true – India lost aircraft and Pakistan saw it defenses breached.
