© Screenshot from Samaa TVScreenshot from video reportedly showing the wreckage of the MiG-21 plane downed by Pakistan.
Indian fighter jets forced the Pakistanis to retreat after an encounter over the disputed Kashmir region, an Indian official told Reuters.
Amid the reported incursion, Indian authorities shut down the Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar, Kashmir. Three smaller airports in the area suspended commercial flights over safety concerns.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the country's military launched "a series of strikes" across the border, but claimed they were carried out from Pakistani airspace.
"This was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore, taken strikes at non military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defense," the ministry said in a statement.
No details about the Pakistani operation were given, but Islamabad reserves the right to "retaliate against elements that enjoy Indian patronage" in response to similar moves by India.
On Tuesday, Indian warplanes entered Pakistani airspace to target what Indian officials called a terrorist training camp responsible for a suicide bombing attack on Indian troops, which happened two weeks ago.
Pakistan condemned the move, saying it reserved the right to respond to the incursion at a time and place of its choosing.
Pakistan downs 2 Indian aircraft inside its airspace, pilot arrested - military
Pakistan shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft after they crossed into its airspace, the army said. The incident comes amid an ongoing border crisis between the two nuclear powers.
The Pakistani Air Force downed "two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace" after they crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, the army's spokesperson, Major General Asif Ghafoor, tweeted. It was later revealed that one of the machines was a MiG 21 fighter jet.
According to the spokesperson, one aircraft fell inside the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir, while the other went down inside the territory controlled by India. Ghafoor stated in a press briefing that two pilots were "recovered and provided all necessary medical treatment." The government later clarified that only one Indian pilot was captured.
A video released by Radio Pakistan shows the man blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back.
Islamabad also claimed it conducted airstrikes into Indian-held Kashmir.
At the same time, media had reported on an Indian Mi-17 military helicopter crashing inside the Indian-controlled area of Kashmir. It is not clear if it was one of the aircraft downed by Pakistan.
There were also reports of India shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet. However, Islamabad dismissed them as false.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Pakistani Army stated that the military was acting "purely in self-defense."
"War is no solution. The people of both nations deserve to live in peace," Asif Ghafoor said.
Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, while on a trip to China, stated New Delhi wishes to avoid any "further escalation of the situation" and will "continue to act with responsibility and restraint."
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated dramatically on Wednesday with reports of cross-border shelling along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Pakistani officials said that at least four civilians were killed from mortar fire. The Indian Army said that five of its soldiers were wounded during the shelling from Pakistan.
Pakistan 'does not want war' with India - military spokesman
Pakistan says it showed "restraint" while downing two Indian aircraft on Wednesday, including a MiG-21 plane, and insists it does not desire war, but is ready to "retaliate" if India continues to violate its territory.
"We have sent a message to India that despite having the capability to engage, we have shown restraint. Our aim is to defend our motherland yet ensure no unnecessary provocation to escalate takes place," spokesman of the Pakistani Army Major General Asif Ghafoor said during a press statement in the capital, Islamabad.
Ghafoor said that Pakistan was merely looking to defend itself, following the second incursion from the south in two days.
"If aggression is imposed upon on us we will retaliate out of self-defense. Pakistan is not pushing the environment towards war," the official said.
Comment: SAMAA TV released footage alleging to be the Indian MiG-21 bursts into flames, plus the wreckage:
India admitted the downing of one of its jets, but claims that it too shot down a Pakistani jet: There's no evidence yet for India's claim to have downed the Pakistani jet.
Indian police told media they recovered 7 bodies from the downed helicopter that fell near Srinagar in Kashmir. RT writes: According to Fort Russ, the casualties so far include the following: between 19-24 Indian soldiers, 8 Pakistani soldiers, and 4 Pakistani civilians.
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