As arch-rivals India and Pakistan exchanged tit-for-tat missile, drone and fighter jet attacks across their shared frontier, a video was shared in posts falsely claiming it showed a downed Pakistani pilot being cared for by Indian civilians.

Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian jets on May 7, 2025 during the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades, but an image of the burning wreckage of an aircraft widely shared online predates the current crisis.

In a review of visuals posted online, The Post verified debris consistent with at least two French-made fighter jets flown by the Indian air force.