On 27th
January 2019, Pakistani
F-16 fighter jet that violated Indian air space in morning was shot down in
retaliatory fire, senior government officials said.
According to
sources, the warplane was shot 3 kilometres inside Pakistan territory in Lam
valley of Nowshera sector. A parachute was seen as the F-16 was going down;
however the condition of the pilot is unknown.
The
Pakistani fighter jets violated Indian air space in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch
and Nowshera sectors. Government officials said that they were pushed back by
Indian craft that were on patrol duty.
The
Pakistani jets dropped bombs whereas returning, officers said. There have been
no immediate reports of any casualties or harm.
Pakistan
denied its F-16 was shot down and claimed that the US-made aircraft wasn't even
a part of the formation. It said that its jets had crossed the line of control
to undertake strikes in India for "self defence", every day after IAF
warplanes conducted airstrikes at a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan.
The Pakistan
ministry, said during a statement: "Today, Pakistan Air Force undertook
strikes across Line of control from inside Pakistani airspace. This wasn't retaliation
to continuing Indian belligerence,"
"Pakistan
has thus, taken strikes at non-military target, avoiding human loss and
casualty. Sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, can and capability for
self defense. We’ve no intention of escalation, however are totally ready to
try and do thus if forced into that paradigm.”
"That
is why we tend to undertook the action with clear warning and in broad
daylight. For the previous few years, India has been attempting to ascertain
what they call 'a new normal' a thinly veiled term for doing acts of aggression
at no matter pretext they need on a given day,” it said.
The major
escalation of tension has forced the govt. to stop working 5 airports at
Srinagar, Jammu, Leh Chandigarh and Amritsar for civilian air traffic shortly
after Pakistani jets entered India.
In Srinagar,
an officer of the Airports Authority of India told PTI, "The civilian air
traffic has been suspended briefly in sight of the emergency".
The flare up
within the cross-LoC firing, that was initiated by Pakistani troops in early
hours of Wed, has additionally resulted in security forces and alternative
institutions being placed on a heightened alert.
