After repeatedly reminding the world of Indian losses during May’s clashes with Pakistan, United States (US) President Donald Trump has revised the number of planes that were shot down, saying that the tally of the downed jets was “eight essentially”.
Pakistan and Indian in May this year engaged in intense military clashes – the worst between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades – that were sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in held Kashmir.
With New Delhi blaming Islamabad for the attack and Pakistan repeatedly rubbishing the accusations while offering an independent probe, clashes broke out between the two countries over India’s unprovoked cross-border aggression.
During the standoff, Pakistan downed seven Indian fighter jets, including three state-of-the-art Rafale jets, and dozens of drones. After over 80 hours, the conflict came to an end on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.
With President Trump, every now and then, reminding the world how he played a key role in putting an end to the clashes, he has over the past several months repeatedly mentioned the loss of seven jets, which did not sit well with Indians.
He, however, took it up a notch on Wednesday when, while addressing the America Business Forum in Miami, President Trump said some newspapers had reported that seven or eight planes were shot down during the Pakistan-India war.
Trump added that one newspaper claimed seven aircraft were downed and another damaged.
“I won’t name any newspaper here — most of them publish false news,” Trump said, adding that, in fact, eight planes were shot down in the recent Pakistan-India war.
Recalling his efforts to end military clashes between the two neighbours, Trump said he was in the middle of signing a trade deal with Pakistan and India when he heard that both the neighbouring countries “were going to war” and it was then that he decided his administration would not make any deal with either country “if they are at war”.
“I was in the midst of a trade deal with both of them. Then I read on the front page of a certain newspaper… they are going to war. Seven or eight planes were shot down. Eight planes were shot down essentially,” Trump told the business forum.
He recalled threatening to decline trade deals and said, “I got a call, they need peace. They stopped. I said thank you, let’s trade. Isn’t that great?.”
The statement comes less than a month after the US president said that “seven brand-new and beautiful planes were shot down” during the Pakistan-India war, highlighting New Delhi’s losses.