Two Indian aircraft shot down inside Pakistani airspace: DG ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace on Wednesday and arrested an Indian pilot on ground.

Pakistan Military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said Indian Air Force (IAF) crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and two of their aircraft were shot down by PAF inside Pakistani airspace.

“One of the aircraft fell inside AJK while other fell inside IoK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area,” Director Gneral of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said.

DG ISPR will hold an important press conference shortly.

The Foreign Office in a statement stated, “Pakistan Air Force (PAF) conducted strikes across Line of Control (LoC) from within Pakistani airspace.”

“This was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore, taken strikes at non-military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage,” the FO statement read.

“Sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence. We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm,” it added. “That is why we undertook the action with clear warning and in broad daylight.”

The FO further said, “For the last few years, India has been trying to establish what they call “a new normal” a thinly veiled term for doing acts of aggression at whatever pretext they wish on a given day. If India is striking at so called terrorist backers without a shred of evidence, we also retain reciprocal rights to retaliate against elements that enjoy Indian patronage while carrying out acts of terror in Pakistan. We do not wish to go to that route and wish that India gives peace a chance and to resolve issues like a mature democratic nation.”

India has shut at least four airports in northern India after the incident, according to Reuters.

The retaliatory act comes after Pakistan warned India of a “surprise” on Tuesday in the wake of Indian military aircraft’s intrusion into Pakistani airspace.

Major General Ghafoor on Tuesday warned India that it was time to “wait for our surprise”. “I said three things: You will never be able to surprise us. We have not been surprised. We were ready, we responded, we denied. I said we will retain the escalation ladder. We have that initiative in our hand,” he said.

“I said that we will surprise you. Wait for that surprise. I said that our response will be different. See it for yourself. The response will come, and response will come differently,” the DG ISPR warned the Indian army.

Earlier today, six citizens were martyred as Indian forces once again violated the LoC by resorting to unprovoked mortar shelling. Sources in the area said six citizens were martyred in the unprovoked shelling in Kotli village in Nakyal sector of LoC. Three of a family were among those martyred in the Indian firing. A woman was martyred in Indian unprovoked firing in Khoi Rata sector of the LoC while a citizen was critically injured in the LoC violation in Abbaspur sector.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) a day earlier which rejected Indian claims of targeting an alleged terrorist camp near Balakot and said that Pakistan will decide the time and place of response to the aggression.

Indian military aircraft violated the LoC as they “intruded” from the Muzaffarabad sector and were forced to return owing to the timely response of the Pakistan Air Force, Major General Ghafoor said early Tuesday.

“Indian aircraft intrusion across LoC in Muzafarabad Sector within AJK was 3-4 miles. Under forced hasty withdrawal aircraft released payload which had free fall in open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties. Technical details and other important information to follow,” Major General Ghafoor wrote on Twitter.

He also tweeted images of the “payload of hastily escaping Indian aircraft” which “fell in [the] open”.

The incursion into the Pakistani air space follows a series of threats by Indian political and military leadership following the attack on an Indian Army convoy at Pulwama by a local youth, in reaction to the oppression unleashed by the occupational forces.

 

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