Kamal Ghorui
Afghanistan on Friday claimed that Pakistan had lost its much-hyped, American-made F-16 fighter jet in action, as the Islamabad-led military carried out overnight strikes targeting multiple cities in Taliban-led Afghanistan.The US-made F-16 jet, considered a key asset of the Pakistan air force, was reportedly used in the airstrikes on the Taliban-led country, which does not have an air force of its own and relies primarily on ground forces.
The reports suggested that debris from the F-16 was seen scattered on the ground.On X, an account claiming to be affiliated with the “Afghanistan Defense” shared a video purportedly showing the wreckage of a destroyed and burning F-16 fighter jet, alleging that it had been shot down by Taliban defence forces.’Pakistan, in retaliation for what it described as “unprovoked firing” by Afghanistan, launched military action against the neighbouring Taliban-led country under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq. The operation included targeted strikes in key Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar.The Islamabad-led military also reportedly destroyed Afghan military bases as part of its retaliatory action.This was not the first time Pakistan’s F-16 jets have been targeted in regional tensions. In May 2025, during heightened hostilities, India launched Operation Sindoor and claimed to have destroyed Pakistan’s F-16 and JF-17 fighter jets.Months earlier, Indian air force chief AP Singh had also stated that India shot down and destroyed US-origin F-16 jets and Chinese-made JF-17s during Operation Sindoor.The UAV hangar in Sukkur, the AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) aircraft hangar in Bholari, and the F-16 hangar in Jacobabad, Pakistan, were also reported to have been damaged in the strikes.“We have indications of one C-130 class aircraft and possibly an AEW&C aircraft, along with at least four to five fighter jets, most likely F-16s, being destroyed,” the IAF chief said.However, X’s in-house AI tool, Grok, refuted the claims made by Afghan social media handles.Fact-checking the video footage shared on X, Grok said, “No, this video isn’t real as claimed.”
