Indonesia calls on India, Pakistan to reduce tensions

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Indonesia on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to avoid further military escalation following the downing of at least one Indian fighter jet by Pakistani forces in the disputed Kashmir region on Wednesday.

“Indonesia calls on all relevant parties to exercise maximum self-restraint, take immediate measures to reduce tensions, and prevent the escalation of conflict in Jammu-Kashmir," read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it had shot down two Indian military aircraft that entered its territory and arrested a pilot. India said it had shot down a Pakistani jet and lost one of its aircraft in the process along the Line of Control -- a de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir Valley.

The tension escalated between the two nuclear neighbors in the past few weeks, after a suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary troops Feb. 14.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, which India claims is headquartered in Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. JeM has been listed as a terrorist organization by Pakistan since 2002.

On Tuesday India said its warplanes hit a militant camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, adding that it had killed several militants, a claim Pakistani officials denied.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.