Fact-Check: Fox News' Report About Pakistan Downing Two Indian Jets Is From 2019

The video dates back to 2019 and shows a Fox News report about India-Pakistan tensions.

A 2019 report by Fox News has been clipped and shared to falsely claim that the organisation said that Pakistan had shot down two Indian jets during Operation Sindoor.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Altered by The Quint)

Social media users are sharing a short clip from a Fox News report, where the presenter can be heard saying "The Pakistani military shot down two Indian jets today, as the country's clash in the remote Kashmir region in area the two nuclear powers have fought over for a decade."

The claim: The clip is being shared to claim that Fox News reported about two Indian fighter jets being shot down during the Indian Army's Operation Sindoor.

An archived version of this claim can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

(Archives of more claims on social media can be seen here, here, and here.)

Is it true?: No, Fox News published the report in the claim on 28 February 2019 and is related to the Balakot airstrike.

• It has no connection to the recent armed conflict between India and Pakistan.

How did we find out the truth?: Using the statement said by the reporter in the video as a search term, we looked for Fox News' original report.

• This led us to a text story titled 'Pakistan shoots down 2 Indian warplanes, parades captured pilot on video', which was published on 27 February 2019.

• We then used this report's headline as a search term on Fox News' verified YouTube channel, where we found the full report shared on 28 February 2019.

• The part of this report which was clipped and shared in the viral claim starts at the 21-second mark in the video.

• It discussed the 2019 Balakot airstrike and how India and Pakistan were clashing in Kashmir, adding that an Indian pilot (referring to now-Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman) had been captured by Pakistani forces.

• Additionally, the jets used in that attack were not Rafales but MiGs.

• Fox News' recent coverage of the armed conflict between India and Pakistan (links here, here, here, and here) does not make any concrete statements about Pakistan shooting down any specific number Indian jets

Conclusion: A 2019 Fox News report is being shared to falsely claim that it reported about Pakistan shooting down two Indian jets amid Operation Sindoor.

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