Trump Revives Operation Sindoor Claims: Says “5 Jets Were Shot Down” During India-Pakistan Conflict
Trump claims five jets were shot down in India-Pakistan clash; India denies losing Rafales or pilots, rejects US mediation in Operation Sindoor ceasefire.
image for illustrative purpose
U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred controversy again with fresh claims about the recent India-Pakistan military standoff, stating that “five jets were shot down” during the conflict sparked by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The remarks were reportedly made during a private White House dinner with Republican lawmakers.
“Planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually,” Trump said, without clarifying which country’s aircraft were hit.
⚔️ Trump’s Remarks Bring Operation Sindoor Back Into Spotlight
Trump’s vague comments have once again drawn attention to Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strikes launched in early May following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people, including tourists.
India responded with a coordinated tri-services offensive, involving long-range precision strikes by the Air Force, Navy, and Army on targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
🇵🇰 Pakistan’s Claims vs 🇮🇳 India’s Silence
- Pakistan has asserted that it downed multiple Indian jets, including three Rafale fighters, and captured pilots — claims it has not backed with evidence.
- India, on the other hand, has refrained from officially disclosing its aircraft losses. However, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan did acknowledge that the Indian Air Force lost some aircraft, but dismissed Pakistani claims of six jets being destroyed.
- “It’s not about how many jets were downed, but why,” Gen Chauhan told Bloomberg TV during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
- “We launched successful strikes 300 km deep into Pakistan, with metre-level precision.”
- India has denied losing any Rafale fighters and firmly rejected claims that any Indian pilots were captured.
- Even Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, the maker of Rafale jets, called Pakistan’s claims “factually incorrect” in an interview with French magazine Challenges.
🇺🇸 US Mediation Claim Disputed by India
- Trump also reiterated that the May 10 ceasefire between India and Pakistan was the result of US diplomatic pressure, including threats to stall trade talks.
- “We said, you guys want a trade deal? We're not doing it if you're throwing around weapons, maybe even nuclear ones,” Trump stated.
- However, India has rejected this narrative, maintaining that the de-escalation was achieved bilaterally, without any foreign mediation or threats tied to trade.
🔴 Inside Operation Sindoor
Launched on the night of May 7, Operation Sindoor saw India’s armed forces strike what it described as terror infrastructure and military targets in Pakistan. The offensive continued for over 72 hours.
On May 11, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti stated that all Indian pilots had returned safely, pushing back against Pakistani claims.
