(MENAFN- Live Mint) The French Navy has strongly condemned a Pakistan-based media outlet for spreading“misinformation and disinformation” regarding India's Operation Sindoor targeting Pakistan-sponsored terrorist sites following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

The clarification followed an article published by Islamabad's Geo TV on November 21, which claimed that a French naval commander had affirmed Pakistan's air superiority and stated that Indian Rafale jets were shot down during border skirmishes.

Also Read | Pakistanis asked ex-CIA to apologise for 'India will win' remark, then...

The Navy said the report not only misquoted French officers but even published the wrong name, referring to the officer as "Jacques Launay" instead of his real name, Captain Yvan Launay.

In a statement released on its official X account, the Marine Nationale said all the remarks attributed to Captain Launay were fabricated. "These statements were attributed to Captain Launay, who never gave his consent for any form of publication. The article contains extensive misinformation and disinformation," it said.

See the post by French Navy:

The disputed article had sensationally claimed that a French commander told an Indo-Pacific conference that the Pakistan Air Force performed "much better" during the May 6-7 confrontation involving over 140 fighter jets. It also alleged that he confirmed that Indian Rafales were shot down and linked the outcome to supposed Chinese support. The French Navy said none of this was true.

Also Read | How is Pak after Operation Sindoor? Islamabad is 'learning lessons'. Here's how

According to the Navy, Captain Launay's actual role is limited to commanding the naval air station at Landivisiau, where Rafale Marine aircraft are stationed, contrary to the Pakistani portrayal of him as a senior operational authority involved in the India-Pakistan conflict. His presentation at the conference, France said, was purely technical: he described the missions of the Rafale Marine, the carrier strike group concept, and general challenges pilots face in high-intensity air combat.

Also Read | Trump not so 'sharif'? US Prez makes Pak PM wait for 60 minutes ahead of meeting

France Navy further clarified that when asked about Operation Sindoor, Captain Launay neither confirmed nor denied any claims about losses, and he refused to comment on allegations about Chinese jamming of Indian aircraft. The Navy also added that he never mentioned the Chinese J-10, contradicting what Pakistani media tried to project.

What Pakistani news outlet had written?

The Pakistani news outlet wrote that "Addressing why Rafale's radar system failed to perform properly during combat, Captain Launay said the issue was operational rather than technical. "There was nothing wrong with the war machine, but the machine was not used properly," he explained, adding that“Rafale can compete and defeat the Chinese J-10C in any combat situation.”

Also Read | Why Pakistan will regret letting the army tighten its grip

The French Navy rejected this narrative, stating that“he never mentioned the Chinese J-10”, another claim circulated by a Pakistani news outlet.

Operation Sindoor

India initiated the military operation on May 7, targeting and destroying multiple terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The military conflict, which lasted nearly 88 hours, came to a halt after both sides reached an understanding on the evening of May 10.

Operation Sindoor not only degraded terror networks but redefined India's red lines on terrorism.

(With inputs from agencies)

MENAFN23112025007365015876ID1110385278