Indian Air Defences Mistakenly Downed Own Military Helicopter - Reports

India's NDTV broadcaster reported Tuesday that the Mi-17 V5 helicopter that crashed in the state Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year was in fact downed by India's own air defence forces deployed in Srinagar.

The broadcaster added that an investigation into the incident will be concluded in 20 days. 

According to the report, the helicopter got off the ground at the very moment of a harsh dogfight between Indian and Pakistani aircraft, some 200 kilometres away from the battle. The Indian air defence forces, which were in a state of high alert at the time, noticed a target flying low above the ground and decided to down it. The investigation is clearing up whether the recognition system was functioning when the incident occurred.

Tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi simmered earlier this year after at least 40 Indian security personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in Pulwama, India.

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Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Pakistan-based terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack and the Indian government accused Islamabad of harbouring and sponsoring the Islamist terrorist outfit — a charge which Pakistan has denied.

In response, India conducted the 26 February airstrike on alleged terror infrastructure targets in Pakistani territory; the following day, Pakistan retaliated by conducting airstrikes targeting Indian territory; the ensuing dogfight reportedly downed two aircraft.