US President Donald Trump dropped a startling claim at a White House dinner with Republican senators on Friday, asserting that “five jets were shot down” during the intense India-Pakistan military conflict in May 2025. Without clarifying whether the jets belonged to India, Pakistan, or both, Trump’s remarks have reignited attention on the brief but volatile clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

The conflict erupted after a deadly April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, blamed on The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, targeted alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories, triggering four days of airstrikes, missile exchanges, and artillery fire. A ceasefire was reached on May 10 through direct military talks, despite Trump’s repeated claims of brokering peace via trade leverage.

Trump boasted, “India and Pakistan were going at it... planes were being shot out of the air. I think five jets were shot down, actually.” He credited his administration with halting the conflict by threatening to withhold trade deals, saying, “We’re not making a trade deal if you’re throwing around weapons, maybe nuclear weapons.” India, however, firmly denies any US mediation, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasizing bilateral resolution.

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Pakistan has claimed it downed six Indian jets, including three Rafales, but Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan dismissed this as “absolutely incorrect,” admitting unspecified aircraft losses due to initial tactical errors. India claims it downed several Pakistani jets, while Pakistan denies any losses. No independent evidence supports either side’s claims.

The US recently designated TRF a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a move welcomed by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as a boost to counter-terrorism efforts. Trump’s vague jet claim, lacking specifics, continues to stir controversy as both nations navigate the fragile ceasefire.

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