US President Donald Trump is back in the spotlight—this time claiming that “five jets were shot down” during the India-Pakistan conflict that followed the Pahalgam terror attack. The remark was made during a private dinner with Republican lawmakers at the White House. But Trump didn’t say which country’s jets were hit.
This vague but bold statement has once again brought Operation Sindoor into focus. That’s the Indian military operation launched after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 people, including tourists, lost their lives.
The operation began on May 7. Over three intense days, India launched coordinated attacks by the Air Force, Navy, and Army, targeting terror camps and military bases inside Pakistan and PoK. It was India’s sharpest response in years.
What Trump Said
Talking about the post-Pahalgam conflict, Trump said:
“Planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually.”
He linked the eventual ceasefire to US diplomacy. According to him, the US used trade as leverage to cool tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
India has denied this version. New Delhi says it handled the situation bilaterally and no foreign power brokered peace.
What Really Happened?
Pakistan claimed it shot down multiple Indian jets, including three Rafales, and even captured pilots. But it gave no proof.
India kept quiet for a while. Later, General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, confirmed the Indian Air Force did lose aircraft but didn’t say how many.
He said the bigger point was why the jets were lost, not the number. He also praised India’s quick change in tactics.
India then launched precision strikes—hitting heavily defended Pakistani airfields 300 km deep with near-meter accuracy.
On June 15, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation (makers of Rafale), slammed Pakistan’s claims as false. He said not a single Rafale was downed.
India says all its Rafale jets are safe. No Indian pilot was captured. Air Marshal A.K. Bharti confirmed on May 11 that every Indian pilot returned safely.
Also Read The Resistance Front: US Declares TRF a Terror Group After Pahalgam Attack
