Indian Air Force on High Alert After 2 Pakistani Jets Fly Near Border - Report

16:53 GMT, 13 March 2019

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Shimin Gu / Pakistan Air Force Chengdu JF-17

Over the last several weeks, the Indian Air Force has repeatedly reported downing Pakistani drones that allegedly invaded India's airspace in what New Delhi regards as reconnaissance missions.

Sputnik

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been put on high alert after two Pakistani jets were detected flying 10 kilometres from the Line of Control (LoC), near the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir on the night of 12 March, ANI news agency reported. The jets were then seen accelerating to supersonic speed and flying away, the agency added.

The report didn't specify the type of jets flown by Pakistan. Neither New Delhi, nor Islamabad has commented on the matter.

Indian MoD Confirms Downing of Pakistani Drone Over Airspace Violation - Reports

9 March 2019, 18:54 GMT

The episode followed several weeks of tensions between the states, with the IAF having reported downing several Pakistani drones that intruded India's airspace.

The downward spiral in bilateral relations began after India conducted an airstrike on an alleged camp of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) on Pakistani territory late in February. Islamabad denies the existence of JeMs camps on its territory and stated that the IAF had bombed an empty hillside, accusing Delhi of violating its airspace.

In response to the air raid, the Pakistan Air Force downed two IAF jets, reportedly capturing their pilots, which led to a further escalation. Later, Pakistan released one of the pilots on 1 March in "a peace gesture".