Pakistan Shot Down Five Indian Jets, Admits BJP Leader Subramanian Swamy – The Financial Daily

NEW DELHI / DUSHANBE — In a rare acknowledgment, senior Indian politician and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has admitted that Pakistan downed five Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets during the latest military confrontation between the two countries.

During a recent interview, Swamy disclosed that Pakistani forces, aided by Chinese aircraft, successfully targeted Indian planes, including the much-touted French Rafale jets. “Pakistan shot down five of our aircraft. They used Chinese fighter jets, which were superior to our French ones,” Swamy stated, casting doubts on the performance of the Rafale aircraft. He further criticized the aircraft procurement process, alleging corruption in the Rafale deal, which, he claimed, would remain uninvestigated under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Swamy’s remarks have stirred controversy within India, especially as he suggested that meaningful scrutiny of the losses or the aircraft acquisition would not occur while Modi remains in power.

The cross-border conflict flared up following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir last month, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the assault without presenting substantial evidence.

In response, Pakistan launched a comprehensive military counter-offensive titled Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, striking multiple Indian military installations across various regions. Pakistan claimed to have downed six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, and neutralized dozens of drones. The brief yet intense conflict ended on May 10 after 87 hours, following a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.

When asked about the downing of Indian jets, Indian Air Marshal AK Bharti responded vaguely, stating, “Losses are a part of combat,” while declining to provide specific details due to ongoing operational sensitivities. He claimed that India had achieved its military objectives and confirmed that all pilots had returned safely.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan, 53 individuals — including 13 military personnel and 40 civilians — were martyred during Indian airstrikes.

In a significant development, France’s Ministry of Armed Forces confirmed it is in touch with Indian authorities to clarify the role and performance of French-origin Rafale jets during the skirmishes. A ministry spokesperson remarked that the ongoing “fog of war” and rampant disinformation made it difficult to draw firm conclusions but acknowledged the importance of understanding the aircraft’s operational effectiveness under high-intensity combat.

The spokesperson emphasized that if reports of a Rafale loss are confirmed, it would mark the aircraft’s first-ever combat casualty in over two decades of service. “We are closely monitoring the situation and are in dialogue with India to gather verified information,” the spokesperson added.

Separately, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issued a stern warning, pledging to utilize naval firepower in response to any future provocations from Pakistan. “If Pakistan resorts to unethical actions again, it will face the wrath of our Navy,” Singh declared while speaking aboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

India’s armed forces had rapidly deployed naval and aviation assets to the northern Arabian Sea following the April 22 attack. Singh insisted that India paused military actions voluntarily and had yet to fully display its capabilities under Operation Sindoor.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, confirmed in Singapore that both nations had nearly returned to pre-conflict troop levels along the border. While the crisis had de-escalated, Gen Mirza cautioned that the potential for future escalation had increased, particularly due to the lack of communication mechanisms between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

He stressed that while no nuclear weapons were involved this time, the intensity and scale of the conflict highlighted how quickly tensions could spiral. “We are approaching pre-conflict positions, but risks remain elevated,” Gen Mirza said during the Shangri-La Dialogue forum.

He also warned that with limited crisis management tools in place, future diplomatic intervention might come too late to prevent large-scale destruction. “The time window for international mediation is shrinking,” he cautioned, reaffirming Pakistan’s openness to dialogue but lamenting the absence of meaningful channels beyond a few hotlines.

India, however, reiterated its long-standing stance that dialogue cannot proceed amid terrorism. “Talks and terror do not go together,” India’s Foreign Ministry stated.

Gen Mirza denied the existence of any backchannel negotiations and ruled out a meeting with Indian Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, also attending the Singapore summit.

Back home, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned India’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it an attempt to “weaponize water.” Addressing a global conference on glacier preservation in Tajikistan, he warned that millions of lives were at stake and declared Pakistan would not permit any violations of the treaty.

“The unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is unacceptable. Lives cannot be held hostage to narrow political motives,” he told over 2,500 delegates at the UN-backed summit.

He linked glacier melt and climate change to rising regional tensions and called for immediate international cooperation to protect the region’s rivers, which are critical for Pakistan’s water security.

Meanwhile, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a visit to the Command and Staff College in Quetta, praised the armed forces’ performance in the recent operation. He warned against Indian aggression and reaffirmed Pakistan’s capability to counter threats across the full spectrum of conflict.

He also criticized India’s alleged support for terrorism inside Pakistan and emphasized that the nation’s counter-terrorism efforts would be pursued to a successful conclusion.

Highlighting the necessity of resolving the Kashmir issue through peaceful means, Munir condemned India’s so-called “hydro-terrorism” and unlawful military provocations. He called upon military leaders to prepare for future conflicts with innovation and unwavering determination.