No Pakistani F-16 jet was shot down by Afghan Taliban in border clashes, fact-check confirms

2026-02-27 - 12:33

ISLAMABAD – As tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues unbated, social media portals were bombarded with misleading posts, claiming Pakistani F-16 jet was shot down by Afghan forces. Edited pictures and videos claiming that Afghan forces targted Pakistani F-16 jet amid rising hostilities and the visuals, spread like wildfire and fueled intense online debate, but it turned out digitally manipulated fabrications. Social media users flagges major inconsistencies in viral content as experts pointed to incorrect serial numbers, structural anomalies, and signs of AI-generated manipulation. Aircraft records further dismantled the narrative, showing that the serial number in the footage actually corresponds to a U.S. F-16 that crashed decades ago. F-16 Pakistani shot down Adding weight to the findings, an officer from the Pakistan Air Force confirmed discrepancies in the visuals, noting that key features did not match genuine aircraft specifications. AI-detection tools intensified suspicions, flagging the content as modified or computer-generated. One tool reportedly indicated a high probability of manipulation, while another classified portions of the text and imagery as entirely AI-produced. DG ISPR Ahmed Chaudhry addressing Press Conference on Pakistan-Afghanistan War situation