UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY; INDIAN MEDIA REPORT
By Islamuddin Sajid and Aamir Latif
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan army on Wednesday claimed that the country’s air force have shot down two Indian fighter jets that crossed into Pakistani territory.
"IAF [Indian Air Force] crossed LOC [Line of Control], PAF [Pakistan Air Force] shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK," Maj, Gen. Asif Ghafoor, Pakistan army spokesman, said in a Twitter post.
"One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area," he added.
Earlier, in a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace.
"This was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has taken strikes at non-military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage," the statement said.
“We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm,” it added.
The statement explained that Pakistan undertook the action with “clear warning and in broad daylight.”
"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," it said.
“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,” the Foreign Ministry warned.
However, it said that they 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.
Meanwhile, Indian Today, a broadcaster, claimed in a report that Indian forces have shot down a Pakistani F-16 that “violated Indian airspace”.
The tension between the two nuclear neighbors has raised after Indian jets intruded into Pakistan's airspace on early Tuesday.
India had claimed that “several terrorists” were killed in preemptive action on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp inside Pakistan.
The Pakistani civil and military officials have rejected the claim.