London — BBC Verify has authenticated three videos that reportedly show the wreckage of a French-made Rafale fighter jet, the same model operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
According to BBC Verify, one of the clips — geolocated to a field near Bathinda in India’s Punjab state — shows military personnel collecting debris from the crash site. Two additional videos, filmed at night from the same location, depict debris scattered across the field and a projectile igniting in the sky before flames erupt on the ground.
Justin Crump, a former British Army officer and CEO of the risk intelligence firm Sibylline, told BBC Verify that the visible wreckage appears to include components of a French air-to-air missile, the type typically used on both Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighter jets.
Another widely circulated image on social media shows a tail fin marked with “BS001” and “Rafale.” BBC’s reverse image search confirmed that the photo is recent, with no earlier matches found online.
The verification of these videos comes amid heightened military tensions in the region, as India has yet to officially acknowledge the reported losses, while international media and analysts continue to track the evolving situation.
