India confirmed on Saturday that it had lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Chief of Defense Staff of the Indian Armed Forces Anil Chauhan said, “What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down.”
While rejecting Pakistan’s claims that it shot down six Indian jets “absolutely incorrect,” the chief declined to specify how many jets India lost, adding “numbers are not important.”
“Why they were down, what mistakes were made — that are important,” Chauhan said when asked about the fighter jets.
The latest fighting erupted after 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, were killed in an April 22 attack in Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan territory claimed by both nations. New Delhi blamed the attack on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, which denied the charge.
On May 7, Pakistan announced that it had shot down six Indian fighter jets, including at least three Rafale fighters, which India’s government had earlier refrained from commenting on whether it lost aircraft in the fighting.
Later, a ceasefire was reached between the two nuclear states.
Earlier, on May 30, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India will use the firepower of its navy in response to any future aggression by Pakistan.
“If Pakistan resorts to anything evil or unethical, it will, this time, face the firepower and ire of the Indian Navy,” the defence minister said.
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