Trump Claims Five Jets Downed in India-Pakistan Clash

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United States President Donald Trump has claimed that five fighter jets were shot down during the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025, sparked by an April terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Speaking at a White House dinner with Republican lawmakers on July 18, 2025, Trump’s remarks, reported by Reuters, lacked specifics on which side lost the jets, fueling debate amid conflicting narratives from both nations. Pakistan’s rejection of US allegations tying a banned group to the attack aligns with its call for a neutral probe, raising questions about the conflict’s true toll.

The conflict erupted after a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, killing 26 civilians, which India blamed on Pakistan-backed militants, specifically The Resistance Front (TRF), labeled a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) by the US. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) denied involvement, demanding an independent investigation. On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, leading to intense air, missile, and artillery exchanges. Pakistan claimed it downed five Indian jets, including three Rafale fighters, while India admitted losses but denied Pakistan’s figures, with General Anil Chauhan stating, “What matters is why jets were lost, not how many,” per Bloomberg.

Trump’s assertion that “five jets were shot down” during the clash, which he described as a near-war between “two serious nuclear countries,” has stirred controversy. He credited US trade pressure for the May 10 ceasefire, a claim India refutes, insisting its military directly negotiated with Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO). Pakistan’s military, via Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, boasted of downing Indian aircraft without losses on its side, though evidence remains scarce, as noted by Dawn.