Pakistan, India trade conflicting claims over jet flights along Kashmiri border
Pakistani and Indian media reports made conflicting claims about their air force jets scrambling along the Kashmir border overnight on Wednesday amid escalating tensions between the two nuclear rivals.
Four Indian Rafale fighter jets patrolling above Indian-administered Kashmir retreated after a "timely" response by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), state-run Pakistan TV reported on Wednesday, citing security sources.
It said four Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were spotted “patrolling” the India-controlled part of Kashmir, without crossing the Line of Control, a de facto border that divides the disputed Himalayan region between the two neighbors.
The Pakistani aircraft immediately spotted the Indian fighter jets, according to PTV.
“As a result of PAF’s diligent action, the Indian Rafale jets panicked and were forced to flee,” the report claimed.
An Indian media report by Times Now TV confirmed that four Indian Air Force Rafale jets were flying above Indian-administered Kashmir.
"On the night of April 29-30, four Rafale jets of the IAF patrolled in the PoK area while remaining within the Indian territorial boundaries," the Times Now reported, referring to Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
"Four Rafale jets conduct routine sortie along Pakistan border," it said in two different posts on X.
The development came hours after Pakistan's Information Minister Ataullah Tarar claimed that India was planning to carry out military action against Pakistan within the next 24 to 36 hours.
New Delhi has not yet reacted to Islamabad's claim.
Already heightened tensions between the archrivals have further intensified in the past few days after 26 people were killed last week in a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
