Key points
- Indian defence officials have admitted “losses” but not the extent of it
- Hostilities rose between India and Pakistan in May
- Ceasefire was announced on May 10
- Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: United States (US) President Donald Trump said on Friday that up to five jets were shot down during the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
Pakistan claimed it had downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat. India’s highest-ranking general said in late May that India switched tactics after suffering losses in the air on the first day of hostilities.
Trump, who made his remarks at a dinner with some Republican US lawmakers at the White House, did not specify which side’s jets he was referring to.
“In fact, planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually,” Trump said while talking about the India-Pakistan hostilities, without elaborating or providing further detail.
“We stopped a lot of wars”
He said, “We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious, India and Pakistan, that was going on. Planes were being shot out of the air [some reports have this portion as ‘out of there’].”
This is the first time a top foreign leader has officially claimed that fighter jets were shot down during the conflict.
If true, this would be the biggest loss suffered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) since the 1971 war with Pakistan, according to The Wire.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing growing criticism from the Indian public over his handling of the Pahalgam attack.
