© Screenshot from Samaa TVScreenshot from video reportedly showing the wreckage of the MiG-21 plane downed by Pakistan.
Indian Air Force jets intercepted Pakistani military jets after they crossed into Indian airspace over disputed Kashmir. While Pakistan struck India,
it said its jets didn't cross the border and avoided "human loss."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.
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:
In an "aerial engagement a Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force" and fell on the Pakistani territory, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar, told reporters on Wednesday.
India took a beating too, he announced, having lost "one MiG 21" in the encounter.
Kumar stated that Islamabad used its jets to "target military installations on the Indian side" but "due to our high state of readiness and alertness Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully."
The Pakistani military claimed to have shot down two Indian aircraft over its airspace. The government said that a pilot was captured after landing on the ground, and posted a photo of him in custody.
After initially reporting the pilot as "missing in action," India confirmed that he was being held by Pakistan and condemned his interrogation video as a "vulgar display."
Islamabad for its part denied losing any of its aircraft as reports suggested that a Pakistani F-16 had been downed by the Indian Air Force.
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:
It remains unclear if aircraft was downed or crashed.
RT's video news agency Ruptly captured footage of the crash site, where smoldering remains of the aircraft were scattered over a significant area. Armed guards were placed around the perimeter to keep the growing crowd at a distance.
Police told NDTV that 6 Air Force officers and a civilian died in the crash.
Indian officials earlier said that poor weather and technical failure were responsible for the accident, though different death tolls had been cited.
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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