New Delhi and Islamabad continue to advance sharply conflicting accounts of May’s India–Pakistan conflict, with both governments claiming significant aerial victories but offering little verifiable evidence.

India’s Air Force chief Amar Preet Singh claimed Friday that Indian forces shot down five Pakistani fighters—described as F-16 and JF-17 types—while also striking radar arrays, command centers, and runways.

Speaking at the Air Force Day parade, he expanded the tally to include additional aircraft destroyed on the ground and credited integrated air defenses for what he called a record surface-to-air engagement.

Pakistan has consistently rejected this version. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly that Pakistani pilots “turned seven Indian jets into scrap,” while military spokespersons claimed J-10C fighters armed with PL-15 missiles downed Rafales, a MiG-29, and a Su-30MKI.

Islamabad has circulated crash-site footage to support its narrative, portraying the action as a defensive response to Indian strikes.

Independent verification remains elusive. Media outlets, including Reuters, BBC Verify, and AFP, have found that several widely shared videos and images were recycled or miscaptioned, with no neutral access to wreckage to confirm either side’s claims.

France’s Dassault Aviation has denied reports of Rafale losses, while U.S. officials have expressed concern over possible F-16 damage. China, meanwhile, has downplayed involvement even as its J-10C and PL-15 systems were praised in Pakistani media.

Analysts warn that unverified claims risk undermining deterrence in a nuclear-armed rivalry. With India pursuing new fighter acquisitions and Pakistan deepening ties with Beijing and Riyadh, the contested legacy of the May conflict underscores how South Asia’s air battles are fought as much through competing narratives as in the skies.