Latest news with #militaryescalation
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
India finally admits it lost fighter jets in clash with Pakistan – but refuses to say how many
India has confirmed for the first time that it lost fighter jets during its brief military conflict with Pakistan earlier in May, though the country still refuses to clarify the number or nature of aircraft it lost. New Delhi and Islamabad stepped back from the brink of all-out war following their worst military escalation in decades, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians in cross-border shelling, as well as drone attacks by both sides. Pakistan 's military claimed it shot down six Indian Air Force jets, including three French-made Rafale aircraft, during the initial clashes. Both India and Pakistan claimed to have downed each other's fighter jets in a dogfight that reportedly involved over 125 aircraft, making it the largest aerial battle since the Second World War. General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, admitted India suffered initial losses in the air, but declined to give details. 'What is important is that... not the jet being downed, but why they were being downed,' he told Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. However, he said Pakistan's claims of downing six Indian warplanes were "absolutely incorrect". 'The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range,' Gen Chauhan said. In separate remarks to Reuters in Singapore he said that after rectifying tactics, "we went back on the 7th, 8th and 10th in large numbers to hit air bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their air defences with impunity, carried out precision strikes'. The Indian air force "flew all types of aircraft with all types of ordinances on the 10th", he said. India has previously said its missiles and drones struck at least eight Pakistani air bases across the country that day, including one near the capital Islamabad. India's director general of air operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti, had told a press conference earlier in the month that "losses are a part of combat" and that India had downed some Pakistani jets. Islamabad has denied it suffered any losses of planes but has acknowledged its air bases suffered some hits, describing the impact as minimal. Some of the attacks were reportedly against bases near Pakistan's nuclear facility in Kirana Hills of Punjab province, but the Indian military has said the facility itself was not targeted. "Most of the strikes were delivered with pinpoint accuracy, some even to a metre, to whatever was our selected mean point of impact," Gen Chauhan said. Gen Chauhan and Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, have both said there was no danger at any time during the conflict that nuclear weapons were considered. "I think there's a lot of space before that nuclear threshold is crossed, a lot of signalling before that, I think nothing like that happened," Gen Chauhan said. "There's a lot of space for conventional operations which has been created, and this will be the new norm." "It's my personal view that the most rational people are people in uniform when conflict takes place," he added. "During this operation, I found both sides displaying a lot of rationality in their thoughts as well as actions. So why should we assume that in the nuclear domain there will be irrationality on someone else's part?" The conflict began after India struck alleged militant hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir to avenge the deaths of 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, killed in a terror attack in India-administered Kashmir on 22 April. New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the gunmen who carried out the massacre. Islamabad denied the charge and sought an independent investigation. The Indian strikes escalated the tensions into a military conflict as the two sides exchanged heavy fire along their de facto border in the restive Kashmir region as well as missile and drone strikes on military installations. The Indian military claimed to have killed nearly 100 militants with its overnight strikes and 35-40 personnel of Pakistan's armed forces in subsequent action along the de facto border. The Pakistani army said on Tuesday that the clash with India had left 11 soldiers and 40 civilians dead. A Pakistani minister last week claimed their armed forces had killed 40-50 Indian soldiers. The intense four-day period of fighting came to a halt with a ceasefire announced by both governments following talks between their national security advisers. US president Donald Trump has claimed credit for brokering the truce, though Indian officials have quietly rowed back against the idea that his intervention was pivotal.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Pakistan military chief says troop drawdown underway, warns next conflict with India could hit whole region
Pakistan, India had built up troops along border region during conflict Pakistani general warns of threat of escalation in future Mirza warns there might not be enough time for future international mediation SINGAPORE, May 30 — Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were 'terrorist infrastructure' sites across the border and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. 'We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,' said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's ministry of defence and the office of the Indian chief of defence staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. 'Nothing happened this time,' he said. 'But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.' He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainlands but neither has acknowledged any serious damage. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border again if there were new attacks on India. 'Dangerous trend' The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947. India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination. 'This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,' Mirza said. 'This is a very dangerous trend.' Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the U.S., India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. 'The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,' he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. India's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday 'talks and terror don't go together' in response to a question on the possibility of dialogue with Pakistan. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. 'These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,' Mirza said. — Reuters
Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Nukta Explores the Escalation: A Timeline of Events Between India and Pakistan on May 9-10, 2025
05/24/2025, Dubai, United Arab Emirates // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // In an effort to bring clarity to the intense events of May 9-10, 2025, this release presents a detailed timeline of the military escalation between India and Pakistan. This comprehensive breakdown explores the dramatic shifts that occurred in the course of just a few hours, marking one of the most tense moments in the region's history. Nukta Takes a Deep Dive into the Escalation between India and Pakistan: What Happened on May 9-10? The Timeline of Events Nukta's Insightful Exploration Nukta offers an in-depth examination of the sequence of these critical events, emphasizing the significance of each timeline entry. The platform highlights the military strategies, responses, and international reactions that contributed to the de-escalation efforts. By providing this detailed timeline, Nukta aims to bring its readers a clearer understanding of the sequence of actions that led to the temporary halt in violence. This exploration not only captures the immediacy of the conflict but also offers a broader view of the global influence on the South Asian security landscape. About Nukta Nukta is a leading digital news media platform known for its timely and in-depth analyses on global events. Offering news and insights with a unique perspective, Nukta continues to engage with its audience through compelling narratives and data-driven storytelling. For further information or media inquiries, please contact: Contact Name: Rimsha Nayyar Company Name: Nukta Email: [email protected] Website: Contact Number: 02132216851 City: Dubai Country: UAE
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Rapid escalation of India-Pakistan clashes a warning of new tech dangers
After days of intense hostilities, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire, with US President Donald Trump claiming credit for the still-fragile agreement to halt military action along The Line of Control that divides Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The latest episode began on April 22, when a terrorist attack killed 26 civilians in Indian-administered Pahalgam, prompting New Delhi to announce Operation Sindoor on May 6 to target terrorist camps in Pakistani territory. Pakistan, naturally, responded with counterstrikes . What unfolded from May 6-10 brought the world a step closer to nuclear war. But the dynamics of the escalation were particularly shaped by both militaries' use of and reliance on missiles, drones – including loitering munitions, so called because they loiter overhead until an opportunity presents for the kill – and related technologies. It was also the first conflict to showcase the use of Chinese, American, Russian and French weapons systems. The use of these technologically advanced weapons incentivised limited action, giving rise to tit-for-tat action and a protracted crisis, while simultaneously creating an environment where both sides alluded to being constrained in their military responses. In other words, the conflict highlighted the restraint-escalation paradox. To understand how emerging and disruptive technologies allowed for kinetic action and restraint at the same time, it's important to uncover what exactly the Indian and Pakistani militaries used.
Al Jazeera
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Did Pakistan shoot down five Indian fighter jets? What we know
Four days after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire after a rapid escalation in a military conflict between them, key differences between their battlefield claims remain unresolved. Among them is Pakistan's assertion that it shot down five Indian fighter jets on May 7, the first day of fighting, in response to Indian attacks on its territory. As a battle of narratives takes over from the actual fighting, Al Jazeera takes stock of what we know about that claim, and why, if true, it matters. Tensions between India and Pakistan erupted into military confrontation on May 7 after India bombed nine sites across six cities in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India said it had struck what it called 'terrorist infrastructure' in response to the deadly April 22 killings of tourists by suspected rebels in India-administered Kashmir. Gunmen on April 22 shot dead 25 male tourists and a local pony rider in the picturesque meadows of Pahalgam, triggering outrage and calls for revenge in India. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for supporting the fighters responsible for the attack, a charge Islamabad denied. Pakistan said Indian forces on May 7 struck two cities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and four sites in the country's largest province, Punjab. It said civilians were killed in the attacks. India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh rejected the Pakistani claims, reiterating that Indian forces 'struck only those who harmed our innocents'. Over the next four days, the two nuclear-armed neighbours were engaged in tit-for-tat strikes on each other's airbases, while unleashing drones into each other's territories. Amid fears of a nuclear exchange, top officials from the United States made calls to Indian and Pakistani officials to end the conflict. On May 10, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington had successfully mediated a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Despite initial accusations of violations by both sides, the ceasefire has continued to hold so far. Pakistan reported on Tuesday that Indian strikes killed at least 51 people, including 11 soldiers and several children, while India has said at least five military personnel and 16 civilians died. Speaking to Al Jazeera shortly after the May 7 attacks, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad, in retaliation, had shot down five Indian jets, a drone, and many quadcopters. Later in the day, Pakistan's military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the warplanes had all been downed inside Indian territory, and aircraft from neither side crossed into the other's territory during the attacks – an assertion India seconded. 'Neither India nor Pakistan had any need to send their own aircraft out of their own national airspace,' British defence analyst Michael Clarke told Al Jazeera. 'Their standoff weapons all had long enough ranges to reach their evident targets whilst flying in their own airspace,' Clarke, who is a visiting professor in the Department of War Studies at King's College, London, added. On Friday, Pakistan's Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed claimed that among the five downed aircraft were three Rafales, a MiG-29, and an Su-30, providing electronic signatures of the aircraft, in addition to the exact locations where the planes were hit. The battle between Pakistani and Indian jets lasted for just over an hour, Ahmed, who is also the deputy chief of operations, told reporters. He stated that the confrontation featured at least 60 Indian aircraft, among them 14 French-made Rafales, while Pakistan deployed 42 'hi-tech aircraft,' including American F-16s and Chinese JF-17s and J-10s. After Chinese state news outlet The Global Times wrote that Pakistan had brought down Indian fighter planes, India's embassy in China described the report as 'disinformation'. However, beyond that, New Delhi has not formally confirmed or denied the reports. Asked specifically whether Pakistan had managed to down Indian jets, India's Director General of Air Operations AK Bharti avoided a direct answer. 'We are in a combat scenario and losses are a part of it,' he said. 'As for details, at this time I would not like to comment on that as we are still in combat and give advantage to the adversary. All our pilots are back home.' Beyond the official accounts, local and international media outlets have reported different versions of Pakistan's claims of downing the jets. According to Indian security sources who spoke to Al Jazeera, three fighter jets crashed inside India-controlled territory. They did not confirm which country the warplanes belonged to. However, with neither side suggesting that Pakistani planes crossed into Indian airspace, any debris in Indian-controlled territory likely comes from an Indian plane. Reuters news agency also reported, citing four government sources in Indian-administered Kashmir, that three fighter jets crashed in the region. Reports in CNN said that at least two jets crashed, while a French source told the US outlet that at least one Rafale jet had been shot down. Photos taken by AP news agency photo journalists showed debris of an aircraft in the Pulwama district in Indian-administered Kashmir. Defence analyst Clarke said if India has indeed lost a Rafale, that would certainly be 'embarrassing'. '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 rumour for as long as possible,' he added. 'India has said that 'losses' are inevitable, and that is probably as near as they will get to admitting a specific aircraft loss for a while.'
