Pakistan Claims it Shot Down Two Indian Aircraft as Tensions Escalate Between Rivals by Pamela Constable and Joanna Slater – Washington Post
Pakistan said it shot down two Indian aircraft over its territory Wednesday and launched strikes inside Indian-controlled Kashmir, one day after Indian jets bombed targets in Pakistan for the first time since 1971 in retaliation for a recent terrorist attack in India’s portion of Kashmir.
The tit-for-tat aerial strikes and accompanying aerial dogfight marked the first serious military escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Both countries claim the Himalayan Kashmir region, which is divided by a militarized “Line of Control.”
India confirmed that one of its planes was shot down by Pakistani planes and said a pilot is missing.
Amid the mounting tensions, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation, saying he did not want to see war with India and urging, “Let’s settle this with talks.” He said his government has offered to help investigate the Feb. 14 Kashmir bombing, which killed 40 Indian security forces, and warned against Indian aggression…
Pakistani Military Says It Shot Down 2 Indian Fighters, Capturing Pilot by Maria Abi-Habib – New York Times
Pakistan’s military said Wednesday that it shot down two Indian fighter jets that had entered Pakistani airspace, capturing a pilot, in an escalation of hostilities just a day after Indian fighter jets crossed the disputed Kashmir region to launch an airstrike within Pakistan.
India’s government confirmed later Wednesday that one of its MiG-21 fighter jets had been “lost” as it thwarted an attempt by Pakistan’s air force to strike an unspecified target inside India. In the engagement, a Pakistani aircraft was shot down by an Indian fighter jet, New Delhi claimed.
“We have unfortunately lost one MiG-21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts,” Raveesh Kumar said at a news conference in New Delhi, the chief spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs…