Subhechcha Ganguly 
Former US President Donald Trump has altered his earlier claim regarding the number of aircraft lost during the recent India-Pakistan military confrontation. Speaking on Monday, Trump stated that seven jets were downed in the conflict, a departure from his earlier assertion last month that five planes had been destroyed.
Like before, Trump did not clarify which side lost how many aircraft. His latest remarks come weeks after Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh confirmed that India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets during Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Singh noted that the downing, carried out by India’s S-400 air defence systems, marked the largest surface-to-air kill ever recorded. He also confirmed the destruction of a Pakistani Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
Trump once again repeated his claim of mediating a ceasefire between the two nations, asserting that his intervention prevented a potential “nuclear war.” According to him, he pressured both countries by threatening to suspend trade unless they agreed to halt hostilities within 24 hours.
However, India has consistently rejected Trump’s claims of intervention, maintaining that the ceasefire agreement, reached on May 10, followed a direct conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries — without any third-party involvement.
This remains the latest in a series of repeated statements Trump has made about his alleged role in the India-Pakistan truce.
