- Hostilities rose between India, Pakistan after April IIOJK attacks.
- American -broken ceasefire between nuclear armed nations on May 10th.
- The US president again takes credit for the ceasefire, India still in denial.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that up to five jets were shot down during the recent Pakistan India hosties, which began after a militant attack in April 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 Pakistan India hosties 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.
India also claimed it had put down “a few planes” in Pakistan. Islamabad refused to suffer any loss of aircraft.
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.
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.
