OF THE
TIMES
Announcing that a Pakistani warplane downed Wednesday had targeted military sites, India's air force, navy and army declared they're on high alert and are poised to defeat further threats.Pakistan has closed its airspace bringing disruption to civilian travel:
India's military gave their take on the downing of the Pakistani warplane in its airspace on Thursday.
Major General Surinder Singh Mahal said the jet dropped bombs which struck Indian military sites, but did not cause significant damage.
"The fact is that Pakistan targeted military installations but we thwarted their plans. The bombs were unable to cause any significant damage due to swift IAF action," the major general declared.
In response, the country's weapons systems have been readied and mechanized forces placed on stand-by.
In the event of further aggression, Rear Admiral D.S. Gujral assured a "resolute, swift and strong response" by the Indian Navy, which has been "deployed in a high state of readiness and remains poised in three dimensions, on land, sea and in the air.
While expressing relief that Pakistan had agreed to release an Indian pilot who was captured after being shot down in Pakistani airspace Wednesday, Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor dismissed Islamabad's claims that it was a peace gesture.
"We see it as a gesture in consonance with the Geneva Conventions," he said.
Islamabad has prolonged the closure of its airspace until March 1 after two days of military exchanges between India and Pakistan in the contested Kashmir region, leaving thousands of people stranded at airports.
The entire Pakistani airspace will remain closed for all civil aircraft until Friday 1pm GMT, the country's Civil Aviation Authority tweeted on Thursday.
Islamabad closed its airspace on Wednesday, while India also shut down airports on its side of the UN-mandated Line of Control.
Hostilities between the nuclear-armed countries escalated on Tuesday after the Indian Air Force attacked sites in Pakistan, claiming that its jets targeted terrorist camps.
Pakistan in return claimed to have shot down two Indian war planes. India confirmed the loss of one bomber but said it had downed a Pakistani aircraft as well. Islamabad denied the allegations.
The airspace closure in Pakistan and Indian parts of Kashmir disrupted air traffic as many airlines were forced to delay, divert or even cancel flights.
Russia couldn't be provoked over Syria, then Afghanistan; Iran couldn't be provoked over continued sanctions and global credit; Libya's gold bullion is still in European banks, perhaps capitalism will finally win in India over its enforced division. Have you noticed that enforced division is never the final answer as it leads only to continued warfare, this time around sponsored by the western arms merchants.