ISLAMABAD, June 30 (Alliance News): India’s Defence Attaché in Indonesia, Captain Shivakumar, has admitted that Indian Air Force fighter jets were destroyed during the aerial clash with Pakistan on May 7 — a rare acknowledgement of losses from the Indian side.
According to Indian media outlet The Wire, Captain Shivakumar made the disclosure during a recent seminar in Jakarta.
He attributed the loss of aircraft to political restrictions placed on the military by the Indian government, saying that the political leadership had barred the armed forces from targeting Pakistani military installations during the conflict.
While he did not reveal an exact number of aircraft downed, he said, “We must have lost some planes.”
The Indian Embassy in Indonesia quickly issued a clarification, asserting that Captain Shivakumar’s comments were taken “out of context.”
The embassy sought to downplay the remarks and emphasized India’s official stance on the conflict, without addressing the reported aircraft losses directly.
The revelation has sparked political backlash at home. The opposition party Congress criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, accusing it of hiding the truth from the Indian public. Party officials have demanded transparency and an official account of the events that unfolded during the five-day conflict in early May.
It is important to note that Pakistani officials had earlier claimed that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down six Indian fighter jets, including a French-made Rafale, during the confrontation.
While India had previously denied these claims, the recent remarks from its own defence attaché have lent credibility to Pakistan’s version of events.
Defence analysts view the apparent disconnect between India’s political leadership and its military command as a factor that may have contributed to operational limitations during the encounter.
The five-day conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in May saw escalated tensions along the Line of Control and in the airspace over disputed regions.
The loss of high-value assets like Rafale jets, if confirmed, would be a significant blow to the Indian Air Force and its strategic standing in the region.
As diplomatic channels continue efforts to de-escalate tensions, the fallout from the seminar remarks is expected to prompt further scrutiny of India’s wartime decisions and post-conflict communications.
