After entering the Indian airspace from Nowshera sector at 10 am, within two minutes, they faced the Indian jets over the skies in Rajouri and returned immediately to avoid getting hit

by Manjeet Negi

As many as ten Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 fighter jets took off from different air bases in Pakistan with an aim of destroying an Indian Army's brigade headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector and an oil depot near Srinagar on Wednesday.

The Army brigade headquarters is a huge establishment near the Line of Control (LoC).

The jets took off from different bases in Islamabad, Nur Khan and Sargodha in Pakistan. The Indian radars monitored the Pakistani jets coming together at 9.52 am. Immediately, four Su-30MKI fighter jets and two MiG-21 jets took off from Srinagar and Awantipora to tackle the intruders.

After entering the Indian airspace from Nowshera sector at 10 am, within two minutes, they faced the Indian jets over the skies in Rajouri and returned immediately to avoid getting hit.

As they were returning, a MiG-21 shot at them and one of the F-16s could be seen falling on their side of the LoC in Lam Keri sector. The Indian pack returned after seeing the Pakistani jets entering their airspace but the MiG-21 could not be accounted for as it did not return.

In the process, the IAF managed to thwart an air attack by Pakistan which may have caused a massive damage to the Indian Army positions.

Pakistan claimed that it captured two Indian pilots. Later, it changed the statement saying only one Indian pilot - IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan - was in its custody.

After today's attempt by the Pakistan Army and befitting reply by the Indian forces, many high-level meetings were held in New Delhi. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held an important meeting with three services chiefs.

Top Air Force sources controlling the entire operations said Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, and all possible options on retaliatory strikes were discussed.