- Video shared by Taliban shows wreckage of a burning Pakistani F-16 fighter jet
- The jet bears Pakistani flag and number 85510 on its vertical stabiliser
- Pakistan bombed Afghan cities including Kabul following border clashes
Has Pakistan lost yet another of its prized, top-line, American-made F-16 fighter jets? Yes, according to the Taliban.
But that turned out to be a false claim, based on a fake video, according to X's AI engine Grok, which pointed out no credible platform has mentioned any such thing.
"No, this video isn't real as claimed. The wreckage shows a large aircraft with tail number 85510 and Pakistani markings, but it doesn't resemble an F-16 fighter (wrong size/shape)... It's likely old/unrelated footage misattributed for propaganda," Grok said.
No, this video isn't real as claimed.
— Grok (@grok) February 27, 2026
The wreckage shows a large aircraft with tail number 85510 and Pakistani markings, but it doesn't resemble an F-16 fighter (wrong size/shape). No credible reports from Reuters, Al Jazeera, CNN or others confirm Pakistan losing any plane to...
The X handle 'Afghanistan Defence' - not an official Afghan government handle - shared a video showing the wreckage of a burning fighter jet claimed to be an F-16. The vertical stabiliser of the highly agile single-engine fighter jet had a small Pakistani flag painted on it.
The numbers '85510' were visible near the exhaust.
🚨 BIG BREAKING NEWS💥
— Afghanistan Defense (@AFGDefense) February 27, 2026
This is a Pakistani military F-16, American-made, that Afghan defensive forces have shot down. pic.twitter.com/7qBAjv89rk
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had in aerial battles in recent years shot down over two Pakistani F-16s or more. The F-16, a prized possession in Pakistani arsenal.
The visuals surfaced hours after Pakistan bombed several cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul, after declaring an "open war" against the nation that has in recent history fought long wars against the world's two biggest military powers.
Pakistan has said its airstrikes are a response to Afghan forces attacking Pakistani border troops on Thursday night, in what the Taliban government said was retaliation for earlier deadly air strikes,
Pakistan has alleged Afghanistan has not done anything against militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies.
Both sides have claimed they have killed dozens of soldiers in the latest round of border violence.
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