India nails Pakistan's lie of shooting down 2 IAF jets

NEW DELHI: India rejected all claims of Pakistan shooting down aircraft of Indian Air Force on Wednesday.

Islamabad claimed to shoot down two Indian Air Force aircraft and arrest an Indian pilot minutes after IAF chased out three Pakistani Air Force (PAF) jets from Indian territory Wednesday morning.

Pakistan Major General A Ghafoor said that the PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts which had entered the Pakistani airspace. “One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area,” he tweeted.

In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 27, 2019

Taking to Twitter, Pakistan's MoFA spokesperson Mohammad Faisal, "PAF undertook strikes across LoC from Pakistani airspace. Sole purpose of this action was to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence. We do not wish to escalate but are fully prepared if forced into that paradigm."

"Pakistan has taken strikes at non military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage," said another statement from Pakistan Foreign Office as reported by Dawn news.

"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," the statement added.

Three Pakistani Air Force jets Wednesday violated the Indian air space and crossed the Line of Control to enter Jammu and Kashmir. According to senior officials, the jets entered Poonch and Nowshera sectors but were pushed back by Indian Air Force aircraft patrolling the area.

The aircraft reportedly entered up to two kilometres inside the Indian territory but fled after they were intercepted by the IAF fighters.

The Pakistani jets also dropped bombs while fleeing but there is no report of any casualty or damage to property, officials told news agency PTI. India also shot down PAF's F-16 aircraft in the Lam valley, Nowshera sector.

According to emerging reports, a parachute seen as Pakistan Air Force's F-16 was going down, the condition of the pilot is unknown, reported news agency ANI.