UK investigators expose Indian claims of shooting down Pakistani F-16

UK-based investigators exposed consistent Indian claims of shooting down Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jet during February 27 standoff at the Line of Control (LoC) between New Delhi and Islamabad where two Indian aircraft shot down by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over ceasefire violation.

The detailed probe report released on a Leicester-based investigation website said that the pictures of wreckage of an aircraft, which India had claimed remains of a Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jet, was ‘in fact very much part of an Indian MiG-21.’

“So, taken together, this is all so say that the claim about the writing on the junction box proving this is be an F-16 part is not correct. This is in fact very much part of an Indian MiG-21.”

Investigators revealed that “the thermocouple junction box is located in this part of the aircraft, so it’s possible that is the function of the numbered box.” They added, “we don’t have a good match to an F-16 there, either.” if someone suggesting it was part of the engine.

Bellingcat investigators have also found similarities in images of another MiG-21bis which was shot down in Croatia in 1991 with recent photos of wreckage of an aircraft being used by Indian Air Force’s Indian MiG-21.

Pakistan military spokesperson, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor had refuted all Indian claims of downing Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jet inside arch-rival’s boundary. He had clarified that Pakistan did not use F-16 in any activity on the February 27.