India’s military has acknowledged for the first time that an unspecified number of its fighter jets were shot down during strikes on Pakistani-controlled territory amid intense fighting between the neighbors in early May.

In a rare admission, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy confirmed that Pakistan shot down five Indian aircraft, including Rafale jets, during the recent conflict in early May. His remarks come at a time when the Indian government has largely avoided commenting on the scale of its losses,

After joining the French Air Force, Rafale carried out many successful air strikes in Afghanistan, Syria and Libya.