WEB DESK / NEW DELHI
India today rejected Pakistan Air Force (PAF) claims that it had shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace on Wednesday and arrested an Indian pilot on ground.
“All our pilots are accounted for”, Indian official said after Pakistan put out a statement claiming “strikes across Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace”, a day after Indian fighter jets destroyed a vast terror training camp within Pakistan in a pre-dawn strike.
A Pakistani F-16 aircraft has apparently crashed on its own territory.
Pakistan Military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor claimed Indian Air Force (IAF) crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and two of their aircraft were shot down by PAF inside Pakistani airspace.
In a press release titled “Pakistani Strikes Back”, Islamabad said “This was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore, taken strikes at non military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. 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. That is why we undertook the action with clear warning and in broad daylight.”
There is no reaction from the Indian government yet. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is meeting with the Defence and Foreign Secretaries besides intelligence officials, to discuss the situation.
The Pakistani statement 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.”