[ike]

Originally Posted by DustyWanderer

What do you think?

These heinous acts were being perpetrated by Pakistan long before trade and tariff wars and will continue to happen long after the trade relations have normalized.

[thanixravindran]

The most significant hit is the Bahawalpur which is not in PoK or near LoC but close to Multan across IB. This shatters the illusion that any retaliatory strike will be limited to LoC areas but can be across International Border itself. And there are reports that tell the death of closed ones of that infamous terrorist.Though this is not our Abbotabad moment, it is very close it. And the international reaction is very muted and less preachy about restraint. So this should help to reduce future cross border terrorist misadventures.

[BackInTheFold]

Originally Posted by dust-n-bones

While it is true that there is no official word about the aircraft till now, what we know is that the Indian side has not denied the possibility - which they would have if they were sure. Meanwhile, there is growing consensus in even the more conservative media that more than one Indian aircraft are down.

While it is a difficult time to ascertain facts, we need to look at them as they come. Also, aircraft wreckage and pilots is not something that can be hidden. We should wait till more information is available, before coming to a conclusion. For all you know, it may be a PAF crash. And keep our prayers and wishes with our forces in this difficult time.

The emerging analysis on the wreckage in the BBC is that they could be either drop tanks or missile parts.

Link to BBC article that quotes experts

This might change if more evidence emerges, but the working hypothesis is that the attack was carried out using drones and missiles, not aircraft.

[Asish_VK]

Whoever came up with this, deserves an applaud

[FlankerFury]

Originally Posted by kushagra452

I won't be surprised if in a fit of rage, Pakistan strikes military and infrastructure targets in India (dams?)

Military actions aren't impulsive and they're certainly not taken by emotional outbursts such as in a "fit of rage". Any military action against a hostile nation is a complex decision that spans strategic calculations, risk assessment and mitigation, and long term objectives.

India made it clear in the press briefing that we did not strike Pakistan's civilian, economic and military targets at all and focused solely on disabling the Islamic terror group's infrastructure.

If Pakistan indeed attacks dams and other such infra on our land, then it gives us a valid reason to attack their military infra in return. Matters will quickly escalate and spiral out of control. I doubt Pakistan would resort to such decisions but one never knows.

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

While we discuss on the truth and verification, please note today's events.

1. The Indian Military gave precise information about the strikes.
   
2. There was no mention of the Indian war planes getting into Pakistan airspace.
   
3. Even the ISPR statement mentioned that neither country has crossed the airspace.
   
4. We need to accept the fact that there will be a huge amount of misinformation spread from both sides of the border.
   
5. At this time, people often make the mistake of looking out for Western media. This is where we need to understand that they are the biggest source of misinformation.
   
6. Even now, almost 15 hours after the strikes, all 3 major so-called media outlets, be it CNN or BBC or Reuters, are still carrying the news that 5 Indian Jets were brought down. How is that possible when ISPR claims neither country crossed borders? Did they not think of verifying with the Indian government?

To add to this, these are the targets that were struck in Pakistan and PoK.

Twitter | Damien Symon | OSINT

The stark reality is that every news organization in the world is a propaganda tool for their highest bidder. There is not a single truthful or fair news outlet as of today. So, as someone mentioned above, at these difficult times, it is best to get information directly from the Indian government.

Please remember, keeping all the politics aside, India is one of the rarest countries that has never attacked a nation first in the last 77 years. Like it or not, we are an extremely responsible nation that will continue to be responsible.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people on the frontline, their families back home, especially their parents who are going through one of the most anxious moments ever! Jai Hind!

+1

Like the opening post on this thread says, "Truth is the first casuality of war".
____

Fog of War

It's the state of confusion and incomplete information that arises during times of conflict and heightened tensions.

During such moments, unverified claims, jingoistic rhetoric, exaggerated reports and fabricated images gain traction faster than facts can catch up which can in turn fuel panic.

There's tonnes of misinformation out there at this time regarding the downing of combat jets, and there's no official confirmation from either side.
I guess, both sides are waiting for the situation to cool down and then report losses and damages.

With rise of generative AI, there are going to be some impressively realistic images of wreckages.

I'd trust official government sources rather than posts by blue ticks on Twitter.

[PaddleShifter]

I came across this article online today in my news feed. I really hope that all Rafales and other aircraft are accounted for and none went down.

https://www.twz.com/air/chinas-pl-15...for-first-time

More importantly, hope no further conflicts and engagements. Lets pray for peace.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Whoever came up with this, deserves an applaud

And don't forget the male member Vikram Misri ( Foreign Secretary) on the team who is a Kashmiri Pandit from valley itself, shows someone has taken utmost care about the minute details to give the press briefing to the world and also the name chosen for the operation, well that was a master stroke.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by DicKy

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...3.cms?from=mdr

Reminds me of when I was in Qatar, my Bangladeshi co-workers sharing videos of Abhinandan Varthaman's mother pleading with Pakistani authorities. Turned out to be some random old lady. Showed them her real video of passengers applauding when she boarded a commercial plane. Silenced them, but I was left stunned by the fake news and overall media they were consuming through the internet.

Googled it and this is what I found.



Clicked the link and...

[Simha.k]

The Hindu shamelessly removed the tweet and has put out a small apology for circulating misinformation. Their level of journalism is down in the gutter.

Distinguished BHPians, can somebody pls enlighten us here about the RB and BS tail number series of vertical tail plane that's doing rounds in the fake news circle? I believe RB series was used as a mark of respect to Rakesh Badauria, the then chief of air force. Does India have BS series too?

Any news that comes out of China and Pak should be taken with one bucket load of salt. I request fellow members to practice the same. I've seen Chinese fiddling data.. Even company internal data. Never trust them.

[dhana]

Quoting from https://www.reuters.com/world/india/...ns-2025-05-07/,

The seminary was emptied of its students in recent days as speculation grew that would be targeted by India, but the family of Masood Azhar, founder of the Jaish-e-Mohammed Islamist militant group, was still there, according to the group.

A local official said that normally there were up to 3,500 staff and students at the site, but almost everyone had been evacuated in recent days as they feared it would become a target.

Masood Azhar seems to have released statement confirming death of his family members to to BBC Urdu.

It did not respond to a request for comment on why the family was still at the site.

I wish not to speculate, but this does raise some questions.

[am1m]

Journalism has always been about who reports things first. And this is since the post and telegraph days, no fault of computers or social media. Be first, then think about being right has probably always been the mantra.

For a media outlet, there is no downside. If you were wrong, so what, pull the story, or at best post a retraction. Not a big deal. If you were first, or even better, exclusive, big upside. So naturally there will be a scramble to post, damn the facts or fact checking.

This happens especially during times like these. And it is amplified by the millions of us who are just waiting to seek validation for our world-view. None of us is immune to this. And governments love this. (All governments.) It works out great for them.

The Internet is a great tool, but it is a tool. You can use it to bolster any view, even the wrong one and find enough people to agree with you, or you can use it to fact check.

The base scientific/rational approach is best. Treat everything you hear with healthy skepticism, don't react till verified by multiple, diverse sources. The hard part has always been applying this principle to points that also align with your world-view or supported ideology/government.

[FlankerFury]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Googled it and this is what I found.

They tweeted an apology last evening. It was too late by then, loads of Pakistani and international media cited their article as confirmation of Indian jets being downed.

Originally Posted by PaddleShifter

I came across this article online today in my news feed. I really hope that all Rafales and other aircraft are accounted for and none went down.

https://www.twz.com/air/chinas-pl-15...for-first-time

More importantly, hope no further conflicts and engagements. Lets pray for peace.

The entire world would be watching the results of this engagement closely. This is possibly the most modern A2A engagement yet, the best China has to offer, PL-15E's and J-10's battling the best France/Europe has to offer, Rafales and Meteors.

There's an image doings rounds on Twitter and Reddit which claims to show the tail section debris of Rafale tail number BS001.
CNN is running with an article about how an "anonymous high ranking French intelligence official" confirmed to them that a Rafale was indeed lost.

It's a bit frustrating to see news publications fabricate narratives and hide behind vague claims from "anonymous officials" and "people in the know", it's often a lazy excuse to push their own agenda while pretending it's informed reporting.

I wish IAF flies the Rafale, tail numbered BS001, in full public view like how the "Avenger-1" Sukhoi-30MKI was flown after Pak claimed to have shot it down in 2019.
I also understand that there's just 36 of them and right now, they're all required on the frontline so it'll be a while before we see a flypast.

If the wreckages turn out to be true it'd be the first combat loss of the Rafale.
____

Originally Posted by Simha.k

...can somebody pls enlighten us here about the RB and BS tail number series of vertical tail plane that's doing rounds in the fake news circle? I believe RB series was used as a mark of respect to Rakesh Badauria, the then chief of air force. Does India have BS series too?

If I remember this right, RB series was for the twin seaters with RB-001 being the first Rafale to be operated by IAF, while the BS series, named after Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, was used for the single seater Rafales.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by FlankerFury

If the wreckages turn out to be true it'd be the first combat loss of the Rafale.

https://x.com/sardesairajdeep/status...216657/video/1

Cheers...

[somersault]

What about this news? Is it fake or real? - https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/ind...5-05-07-988993

[curiousdemigod]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Googled it and this is what I found.

The accountability of media or internet sources has never been specified, they publish whatever they want for some brownie points. And if there's an outcry or the information turns out to be false, they simply remove the post and become an ostrich about it.

As for the neighboring country, they've contradicted their own statements throughout the day, because they're in a tight spot right now. If they talk more about the strike, they'll have to accept the presence of terror outfits, that won't favour them with the IMF bailout installment due for May 9.

Simultaneously, they've to show their population that they haven't taken a blow silently. So they've resorted to what they do best, misinformation, and that explains the retaliatory losses narratives. It's relatively better if we don't repeat their stories and believe our official statements.