Our Correspondent / New Delhi
The Indian Air Force IAF has refuted a report in a US magazine and asserted that it shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during the February 27 dogfight.
Issuing a statement, IAF refuted the report of leading US news magazine that a US count of the F-16s with Pakistan has found that none of the jets are missing.
The IAF said, during the aerial engagement, one MiG 21 Bison of the IAF shot down an F-16 in Nowshera sector and it has conclusive circumstantial evidence including wireless intercepts, signals and graphics captures from airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and electronic signatures to conclude that the F-16 jet was shot down during the aerial combat.
The report by the US-based magazine cites ‘US officials’ as its source of information but does not name anyone. The magazine challenges India’s claim that IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG 21 Bison shot down PAF’s F-16 fighter jet when a Pakistani air armada tried to violate the Indian air space during an aerial dogfight on February 27. Addressing a press conference the next day, India displayed pieces of the AMRAAM missile as evidence to “conclusively” prove that Pakistan had deployed US-made F-16 fighter jets during aerial raids to target Indian military installations in Kashmir.
Pakistan had maintained that they hadn’t deployed F-16 fighter jets and added that no PAF jets were shot down by the IAF pilots.
Reacting to this report, chief spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces Asif Ghafoor said its time for India to speak the truth about false claims and actual losses on their side including the second aircraft shot down by Pakistan. Raking up Kashmir issue once again Ghafoor called on New Delhi to introspect over atrocities in the Valley adding that the region needs peace, progress and prosperity.