‘Absolute fake,’ Pakistan rejects claims Houthi attack damaged JF-17s

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected social media claims that a Houthi attack damaged three Pakistan Air Force JF-17 fighter aircraft at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Air Base and forced their evacuation.

The ministry described the reports as “absolute fake,” saying no credible or official source had reported any damage to PAF aircraft. It also described the circulation of the claim as part of “Indian propaganda.”

A Pakistan TV Digital review of official Saudi and Houthi statements, along with available international reporting and imagery, found no credible evidence or independent confirmation that King Abdulaziz Air Base was targeted or that any PAF JF-17 aircraft were damaged in the Sept 19 attacks.

Saudi account does not name air base

The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh, while also thwarting attempted attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Bisha, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu.

The coalition’s statement did not identify King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran as a target or report any damage there.

Houthi account names Riyadh sites

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.

Saree did not identify King Abdulaziz Air Base as a target. The Houthi claims themselves could not be independently verified.

Earlier in the week, the Houthis separately claimed an attack on King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. That is a different military installation from King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran.

Riyadh images show Aramco facility

Available imagery from the Sept 19 attack also does not show King Abdulaziz Air Base or PAF aircraft.

AFP-verified footage showed a fire at an Aramco fuel depot near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, with smoke rising over the airport area. The imagery was subsequently published by multiple international news outlets.

India Today also published Reuters imagery from the incident showing smoke near King Khalid International Airport. Its report did not identify King Abdulaziz Air Base as a target or report damage to Pakistani JF-17 aircraft.

The locations are distinct: King Khalid International Airport is in Riyadh, while King Abdulaziz Air Base is in the eastern Saudi city Dhahran. Therefore, imagery from the Riyadh incident does not substantiate the claim of damage to PAF aircraft at King Abdulaziz Air Base.

PAF deployment at base is confirmed

Pakistan does have PAF fighter and support aircraft deployed at King Abdulaziz Air Base under bilateral defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

However, confirmation of the deployment does not establish that the base was targeted or that Pakistani aircraft were damaged.

No credible independent reporting reviewed for this fact-check has confirmed that three PAF JF-17s were damaged or evacuated following the Sept 19 Houthi attacks.

Finding

The claim that a Houthi attack damaged three PAF JF-17s at King Abdulaziz Air Base remains unsubstantiated.

Neither the Saudi-led coalition nor the Houthis identified King Abdulaziz Air Base as a target in their accounts of the Sept 19 attacks. Available verified imagery instead shows a fire at an Aramco fuel facility near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.