Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump said five jets were shot down during recent India-Pakistan hostilities that began after an April attack in India-administered Kashmir, with the situation calming after a ceasefire in May.
Trump, who made his remarks at a dinner with some Republican U.S. lawmakers at the White House.
Pakistan claimed it downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat. India's highest-ranking general said in late May that India switched tactics after suffering losses in the air on the first day of hostilities and established an advantage before a ceasefire was announced three days later.
In a separate incident, 26 people were killed in April in the Pahalgam area of Indian-occupied Kashmir following an attack by unidentified assailants. Without providing any evidence, India blamed Pakistan for the attack.
However, Pakistan categorically rejected the accusation and expressed its willingness to cooperate in an impartial and transparent investigation.
While the United States condemned the violence in Pahalgam, it refrained from endorsing India’s unsubstantiated claims against Pakistan, maintaining a neutral stance on the matter. India imposed a war on Pakistan on May 7, which Pakistan responded to and dawned five Indian aircraft, including Rafael.
India has been refusing to confirm the planes being hit.
However, now US President Trump addressed the Republican Member Congress in the White House, in which he did not say that Pakistan had dawned 5 Indian aircraft, but said that in fact 5 aircraft were downed. He did not provide the details of the matter. Just said that the situation was getting worse but he stopped the war.
According to Western media, India also claimed that it had downed Pakistan's planes, but Pakistan has made it clear that no Pakistani fighter plane has been hit by India and India has failed to provide evidence.
Earlier, Following the Indian offensive on May 7, the conflict between Pakistan and India escalated rapidly, involving the use of fighter jets, drones, and heavy artillery by both sides. The hostilities resulted in significant losses for India, eventually prompting New Delhi to seek U.S. assistance in achieving a ceasefire.
President Donald Trump has consistently claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire. According to Trump, it was his direct communication with the leadership of both Pakistan and India that paved the way for the truce, which was reached on May 10.
Trump asserted that he issued a stern warning to both nations, stating that if they failed to agree to a ceasefire, the United States would halt trade relations with them. This pressure, he claimed, was instrumental in de-escalating the conflict and restoring relative calm in the region.
