After India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following a sudden military escalation, both countries still disagree on what really happened during the conflict.
One of the biggest questions is Pakistan’s claim that it shot down five Indian fighter jets on May 7, the first day of fighting, in response to Indian airstrikes.
As the focus shifts from combat to conflicting reports, Arewa Tines looks into what we know about the claim and why it matters if it turns out to be true.
What happened?
Tensions between India and Pakistan turned into open military confrontation on May 7, after India launched airstrikes on nine locations across six cities in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
India said it targeted “terrorist infrastructure” in retaliation for an April 22 attack in India-controlled Kashmir that left 25 male tourists and a pony guide dead. India blamed Pakistan for backing the attackers, which Pakistan denied.
Pakistan said Indian forces struck targets in two cities in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and four locations in its Punjab province, killing civilians. India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh denied those claims, saying Indian forces only targeted those responsible for the April 22 killings.
For four days, both sides launched attacks on each other’s airbases and sent drones into enemy territory. Fearing the risk of a nuclear conflict, top U.S. officials called leaders from both countries to calm the situation.
On May 10, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. helped broker a ceasefire. Although there were some early accusations of violations, the ceasefire is still in place. Pakistan later said Indian strikes killed at least 51 people, including 11 soldiers and several children. India reported that five soldiers and 16 civilians were killed.
What did Pakistan claim?
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Al Jazeera that Pakistan shot down five Indian jets, one drone, and several small quadcopters in response to the May 7 attacks. Military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry added that the aircraft were shot down inside Indian airspace, and neither side crossed into the other’s territory—something India agreed with.
British defense expert Michael Clarke confirmed that both countries had weapons with long enough range to strike from within their own borders, so there was no need to enter each other’s airspace.
On Friday, Pakistan’s Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed said the downed jets included three Rafales, one MiG-29, and one Su-30. He also gave electronic evidence and the locations of the crashes. Ahmed said the air battle lasted just over an hour, with about 60 Indian jets—including 14 Rafales—involved. Pakistan, he said, used 42 high-tech aircraft, including F-16s and Chinese-made JF-17s and J-10s.
How did India respond?
India’s embassy in China called a report by Chinese media claiming Pakistan downed Indian jets “disinformation.” Apart from that, India has not officially confirmed or denied the incident.
When asked if Indian jets were shot down, India’s Director General of Air Operations AK Bharti avoided a direct answer. He said, “We are in a combat scenario and losses are a part of it… I would not like to comment on that as we are still in combat. All our pilots are back home.”
What else do we know?
News outlets have reported different versions of the story. Indian security sources told Al Jazeera that three jets crashed inside Indian-controlled territory but didn’t say which country they belonged to. Since both sides say no aircraft crossed the border, the wreckage likely came from Indian jets.
Reuters quoted Indian officials who said three fighter jets crashed in the region. CNN reported that at least two jets went down. A French source told CNN that one Rafale jet had been shot down.
Photos from AP news photographers showed plane wreckage in Pulwama district, inside Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Will both sides ever admit what really happened?
Defense analyst Clarke said that if India lost a Rafale, it would be a big embarrassment. “If it came down inside Indian territory, which must be the case if one was destroyed, then India will want to keep it only as a rumor for as long as possible,” he explained.
He added, “India has said that ‘losses’ are inevitable, and that is probably as close as they’ll get to admitting a specific aircraft loss for now.”
