US President Donald Trump has stirred controversy by claiming that “five jets were shot down” during the recent military exchange between India and Pakistan.
The remarks, made at a private dinner with Republican lawmakers at the White House on Friday (18), referenced the intense hostilities that followed the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead and triggered a multi-day conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals.
Trump stated, “Planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually,” but offered no specifics on whether these losses were Indian or Pakistani aircraft, nor did he provide supporting evidence. His statement has reignited public and political discussion around Operation Sindoor, the code name for India’s retaliatory strikes.
Operation Sindoor: India’s Military Response
The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, prompted the Indian government to launch “Operation Sindoor” in early May.
Over a span of four intense days, India’s armed forces executed coordinated air, missile, and artillery strikes targeting what it called terrorist camps and military assets deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The operation marked one of the region’s most consequential military escalations in years, with both sides accusing each other of significant losses.
According to Indian officials, the operation focused on “precision strikes” on heavily defended targets up to 300 kilometers inside Pakistani territory.
General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, later noted that the ability to adapt tactics quickly helped India launch successful follow-up attacks after initial exchanges.
Conflicting Claims and Political Reactions
Pakistan, for its part, claimed to have shot down multiple Indian aircraft during the engagement, including three Rafale fighters, and asserted that it had captured Indian pilots.
However, Islamabad has provided no substantive evidence, and India has flatly denied losing any Rafale jets or having its pilots captured. Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation—the manufacturer of the Rafale—also dismissed Pakistan’s assertions as “factually incorrect”.
The disparity in public claims has fueled confusion. India, in contrast to Pakistan’s announcements, has largely avoided disclosing details about its own losses.
General Chauhan acknowledged that the Indian Air Force did lose aircraft, but he underscored that “numbers are not important,” instead highlighting the operation’s purpose and India’s military agility. Air Marshal A.K. Bharti confirmed that all Indian pilots had returned safely.
Trump’s proclamation further stoked the debate. The Indian government has officially pushed back against the narrative that Washington played a decisive role in ending the hostilities, maintaining that the ceasefire and de-escalation were achieved through direct India-Pakistan channels and not via US mediation.
Trump’s Emphasis on US Role
Alongside his claim about the aircraft losses, Trump insisted that the US leveraged trade negotiations to facilitate a ceasefire.
According to Trump, Washington told both countries that trade discussions would not continue if armed conflict persisted: “We said, you guys want to make a trade deal. We’re not making a trade deal if you’re going to be throwing around weapons, and maybe nuclear weapons, both very powerful nuclear states,” he said.
India has repeatedly rejected such assertions, stressing the principle of bilateral resolution and denying a US ultimatum or third-party mediation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials have maintained that the ceasefire was the result of established military communication channels between India and Pakistan alone.
Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Sensitivities
Trump’s comments have prompted calls from the political opposition in India, with some urging Prime Minister Modi to clarify the government’s position on the alleged jet losses in Parliament. Meanwhile, the precise details regarding aircraft losses on either side remain officially unconfirmed.
The rhetoric around Operation Sindoor, the downing of jets, and claims of international mediation underscore the continued sensitivity and complexity of India-Pakistan security dynamics—especially as both sides seek to control the narrative domestically and on the world stage.
As of now, the only consensus is that the brief conflict served as another stark reminder of just how quickly tensions can escalate between these two nuclear neighbors, and how fraught and contested the reporting of such hostilities remains.
