India shoots down Pakistan F-16 fighter jet after it violates Indian airspace
India on Wednesday shot down a Pakistan F-16 fighter jet after it crossed its air space in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowshera area. Beyond visual range missiles struck F-16 jet as it crashed inside 3 kms inside Pakistan border, news agency ANI reports.
Earlier, PTI confirmed that three Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 fighter jets on Wednesday violated Indian airspace in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir, but were pushed back by the Indian side, top police sources said.
"The jets entered into the Indian air space over Nowshera sector of Rajouri district this morning," a police official said, adding that the Indian fighter jets on air patrol immediately scrambled and pushed them back beyond the Line of Control (LoC).
All commercial flights to Srinagar suspended.
Following which, all commercial operation in Leh, Pathankot, Jammu and Srinagar have been put on hold, airport authorities informed. High alert has been sounded in Jammu and Kashmir while India’s home minister Rajnath Singh has called an emergency meeting to review the situation. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also attending the meeting that was underway in New Delhi.
There were no immediate reports of the Pakistani side having dropped any payload in the Indian territory.
Indian Air Defence Systems have been put of maximum alert.
Many defence experts in India have said that this is a first major engagement between the two nuclear neighbours since the war of 1971.
Pakistan’s National Command Authority, the highest body to decide on unclear command, was meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
