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.
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.