Donald Trump Reiterates India-Pakistan Conflict: Says 5 Jets Were Shot Down During Operation Sindoor

US President Donald Trump recently claimed that during the India-Pakistan conflict in May, around four to five jets were shot down. He did not specify if these aircraft belonged to India or Pakistan. His comments were made during a dinner with some Republican lawmakers at the White House.

Trump reiterated his assertion that his administration played a role in mediating the ceasefire between the two nations by leveraging trade discussions. This claim was made despite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that the US had no involvement in brokering peace.

India and Pakistan's Conflicting Claims

Following the ceasefire on May 10, Air Marshal AK Bharti of India stated that several "high-tech" Pakistani fighter jets were downed, though he did not provide specific numbers. In contrast, Pakistan minimized India's claims, stating only one of its aircraft sustained minor damage.

Pakistan further claimed to have shot down six Indian jets, including Rafales. However, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan refuted this claim while acknowledging that an unspecified number of jets were indeed lost during the conflict.

Focus on Mistakes Rather Than Numbers

General Chauhan emphasized that understanding why jets were downed and identifying mistakes is more crucial than focusing on numbers. He noted that losses occurred early in the conflict but stressed that the armed forces quickly corrected their errors to retaliate effectively against Pakistan.

"What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down... Why they were down, what mistakes were made - that is important. Numbers are not important," General Chauhan stated.

Trump's Ceasefire Mediation Claim

At the same event, Trump repeated his claim about preventing a major war between India and Pakistan through trade negotiations. He said tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries were escalating before his administration intervened.

"We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious wars. India and Pakistan were going at it, and they were back and forth, and it was getting bigger and bigger, and we got it solved through trade," Trump remarked.