Ceasefire followed deadly exchange after IIOJK attack
WASHINGTON – Former US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that as many as five fighter jets were downed during the recent bout of hostilities between Pakistan and India, triggered by an April attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He made the remarks during a dinner with Republican lawmakers at the White House.
“Planes were being shot out of the air — five, maybe four — but I think it was five jets,” Trump said, without specifying which country lost the aircraft or offering any further details.
The skirmishes between the nuclear-armed neighbors escalated rapidly after India accused Pakistan of involvement in the deadly Pahalgam attack, which killed 26. Islamabad denied the allegations and called for an impartial investigation.
In response to India’s cross-border airstrikes in early May targeting what it called “terrorist infrastructure,” Pakistan retaliated by launching airstrikes of its own, claiming to have downed five Indian aircraft during aerial combat. New Delhi also asserted that it had shot down several Pakistani jets — a claim Islamabad rejected, though it did acknowledge damage to its airbases.
India’s top military official admitted in late May that the country suffered air losses on the first day of fighting, prompting a tactical shift that gave India a temporary upper hand before a ceasefire was reached on May 10.
The brief but intense confrontation involved fighter jets, drones, missiles, and artillery fire, leaving dozens dead on both sides before the US reportedly stepped in to de-escalate the situation. Trump took credit for brokering the ceasefire, announcing the breakthrough via social media following back-channel talks with both governments.
India, however, pushed back against Trump’s claim of playing mediator, insisting that any resolution to its disputes with Pakistan must be bilateral and without third-party involvement.
The US maintains strong ties with both South Asian countries — India as a strategic partner in countering China’s regional influence, and Pakistan as a longstanding, though complex, ally in regional security efforts.
