Amid ongoing speculations in Indian media over the number of people killed in the Balakot air strikes by the Indian Air Force, Indian Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa on Monday said the IAF does not count human casualties and said that statement (on casualties at Balakot) will be made by the government.
China today welcomed the “goodwill signal” by the Pakistan side responding to reports of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement that the captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman would be released as a gesture of peace.
Hours after an aerial clash between Indian and Pakistani air forces along the Line of Control, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan today said the “sole purpose” to carry out strikes across LoC was to tell India that “if they can come here, we can go there too”.
India's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that one of their pilots is missing, after Pakistan claimed to have captured two Indian pilots.
Reports in Pakistani media say that the Pakistani Air Force shot down two Indian fighter planes. The claim is not yet confirmed by the Indian side but reports in Indian media do mention "crash" of an Indian Airforce Plane in Budhgam area of Jammu and Kashmir.
As per media reports Pakistani fighter jets crossed LoC and entered into Indian Occupied Kashmir's air space on Wednesday, 27 February. A report in The Quint notes that the Pak jets dropped bombs on the way out.
Punjab government has put its border districts on high alert in the wake of the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s intrusion into Pakistan Occupied territory of Kashmir across the Line of Control.
Indian government has said that it carried out a “non-military preemptive action specifically targeted at a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp” in Balakot.