US President Donald Trump said up to five jets on Friday was shot down during the recent Pakistan-India hostilities that began after an April attack in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), with the situation soothing after a ceasefire in May.
Trump, who made his comments on a dinner with some Republican American lawmakers in the White House, did not specify what side jets he was referring to.
“In fact, planes were shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were actually shot down,” Trump said while talking about the India-Pakistani hostilities without elaborating or giving further details.
Pakistan claimed it had put down five Indian aircraft in air-to-air match. India’s highest ranked General said at the end of May that India changed tactics after suffering a loss in the air on the first day of hostilities and established an advantage before a ceasefire was announced three days later.
Read: Decoding defeat: Five times Indian military officials admitted losses against Pakistan
India launched air strikes on Pakistan in early May, following accusations connecting Islamabad with the Pahagam attack – claims Pakistan refused.
In return, Pakistan Air Force shot down five Indian jets. The two sides exchanged strikes on each other’s airbases before reaching an American truce on May 10th.
India also claimed it had put down “a few planes” in Pakistan. Islamabad refused to suffer any loss of aircraft but acknowledged that its air bases had been hit.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, which he advertised on social media on May 10, after Washington held conversations with both sides.
Read more: Pakistan, India agrees to maintain ceasefire
India is different with Trump’s claims that it was due to his intervention and his threats of interrupting trade negotiations.
India’s attitude has been that New Delhi and Islamabad should solve their problems directly and without involvement outside.
India is an increasingly important American partner in Washington’s efforts to address China’s influence in Asia, while Pakistan is an American ally.
The April attack in IIOJK killed 26 men and triggered heavy fighting between the nuclear armed Asian neighbors in the latest escalation of a decades old rivalry.
New Delhi accused the attack on Pakistan, which refused responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation.
Washington condemned the attack, but did not directly accused Islamabad.
On May 7, Indian jets bombed places across the border, as New Delhi described as “terror infrastructure”, which exposed an exchange of attacks between the two countries of fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery that killed dozens until the ceasefire was reached.
