The United States wants to know if Pakistan used US-made F-16 fighter jets to shoot down an Indian warplane, which may be a violation of the sale agreement between Washington and Islamabad, Reuters reported citing a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Pakistan.
"We are aware of these reports and are seeking more information. We take all allegations of misuse of defence articles very seriously", the spokesperson said.
While the Indian military has stepped up accusations against Pakistan, Islamabad has consistently denied having scrambled US-built F-16s, acquired under a "fight against terrorism" programme, in the recent Kashmir incident.
READ MORE: VIDEO of Alleged Dogfight Between Indian, Pakistani Fighters Emerges on Internet
In addition, the Indian side claims that a Pakistan Air Force F-16 had been downed and displayed parts of AMRAAM medium-range missile that was recovered in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, alleging that they had been launched by a US-made jet. Pakistan has strongly denied the allegations, insisting that it has not lost any aircraft.
Indian Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy, in the meantime, has penned an article for the Hindustan Times, in which he hailed Abhinandan as the "first combat pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to shoot down an F-16".
He also speculated on reports that the F-16 pilot had been killed, and said that if those rumours prove to be true, "that would be a great loss to the Pakistan Air Force".
READ MORE: Allegedly Downed PAF F-16 Pilot Mistaken as Indian, Lynched in Pakistan – Report
Historically tense relations between India and Pakistan have hit another low since Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e Mohammad claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a convoy with Indian security forces on 14 February that killed over 40 soldiers. In the wake of the attack, New Delhi accused Islamabad of harbouring terrorists — a claim vehemently rejected by Pakistan as "unsubstantiated".
The following day, Pakistan announced it had shot down two Indian warplanes over the Kashmir border and captured Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was released a few days later in what Islamabad described as a "peace gesture".
The Indian Air Force, in turn, stated that one of its MiG-21 Bison jets had shot down a Pakistani F-16 during a dogfight, while Islamabad maintained it never dispatched US-made fighter jets or sustained any losses.