Pakistan had claimed it shot down five Indian Air Force jets, including three Rafale fighters, a MiG-29, and a Su-30, during retaliatory strikes following India's military operation, Operation Sindoor,

India struck multiple targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the official said there was nothing “absolute” in the current military stand-off between India and Pakistan, and that India’s responses would depend on whether and how quickly Pakistan climbed the escalatory ladder.