Five Fighter Jets Downed in India-Pakistan Clash: Trump

Melbourne, July 21 — U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that five fighter jets were shot down during recent clashes between India and Pakistan following an attack in Pahalgam, located in India-administered Kashmir.

According to news agency Reuters, Trump made the statement on Friday during a dinner with Republican members of Congress at the White House.

Trump said, “The planes were actually being shot down. Five, five, four or five — I think five fighter jets were shot down.”

However, he did not clarify which side lost the aircraft.

In May, a senior Indian military official acknowledged the loss of some jets in the initial stages of the conflict but asserted that India later gained strategic dominance. Pakistan, on the other hand, claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets.

India also reported that several Pakistani jets were shot down, although Islamabad denied losing any aircraft. However, Pakistan did admit that some of its air bases were targeted in Indian strikes.

The conflict was triggered by a militant attack in April in Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. In response, India launched cross-border strikes targeting what it described as “terrorist infrastructure.”

This led to a series of aerial engagements, including the use of warplanes, missiles, drones, and artillery, resulting in significant casualties. A formal ceasefire was eventually announced on May 10.

Taking credit for the truce, President Trump said the peace agreement came through his mediation efforts. However, India has consistently maintained that all issues between New Delhi and Islamabad must be resolved bilaterally, without external intervention.

India has become a key strategic partner in the U.S. Indo-Pacific policy aimed at countering China, while Pakistan remains a traditional U.S. ally in the region.