In a fresh remark that stirred geopolitical circles, US President Donald Trump has claimed that “five jets were shot down” during the recent India-Pakistan military escalation triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack. Speaking at a private dinner with Republican lawmakers at the White House, Trump referred vaguely to the exchange, but did not clarify which country’s aircraft were lost.
His statement appeared to revive international focus on Operation Sindoor—India’s retaliatory strikes launched in early May after a devastating terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives including tourists.
Operation Sindoor and the conflicting claims
India’s military operation spanned three days and involved coordinated assaults by the Army, Navy and Air Force on what New Delhi termed “terrorist infrastructure and military assets” in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. However, while Pakistan has repeatedly asserted that it shot down multiple Indian jets, including three French-built Rafales, no evidence has been provided to substantiate the claim.
India has strongly denied losing any Rafales or having any pilots captured. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, while acknowledging aircraft losses, refuted the Pakistani version. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, he said, “What is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being down. Numbers are not important.”
General Chauhan highlighted India’s evolving tactics and emphasized the precision of subsequent strikes, even on heavily defended targets nearly 300 kilometres deep inside Pakistani territory.
Dassault, India counter Pakistan’s Rafale claims
Adding to India’s rebuttal, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, the French company that manufactures Rafale jets, dismissed Pakistan’s claim of downing three Rafales as “factually incorrect.” In an interview with a French publication, Trappier noted, “When the complete details are known, the reality may surprise many.”
Trump’s claim on US role in ceasefire challenged
President Trump also suggested that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan—declared on May 10—was brokered by US diplomatic pressure, specifically linking it to trade talks. He stated that the US halted negotiations until both sides de-escalated, portraying it as an example of successful American intervention.
However, India has categorically rejected this version of events, maintaining that the resolution was achieved bilaterally, with no external mediation or trade-linked coercion involved.
Air Marshal A.K. Bharti confirmed on May 11 that all Indian pilots returned safely, further contradicting Pakistani and now Trump’s ambiguous claims.