Indian aircraft have violated Pakistani airspace near the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed territory of Kashmir, dropping a payload that left no casualties, Pakistan’s military has said.
The aircraft entered Pakistani airspace early on Tuesday morning and returned to India after Pakistani air force jets were scrambled to intercept them, Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a Twitter post.
“Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage,” he said.
Indian Air Force violated Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 25, 2019
Payload of hastily escaping Indian aircrafts fell in open. pic.twitter.com/8drYtNGMsm
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
The Indian aircraft appear to have crossed the LoC near the border village of Chakothi in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
“People in Chakothi heard a very loud sound of aircraft passing overhead at 3am,” Roshan Mughal, a local journalist, told Al Jazeera.
Later on Tuesday, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, India’s minister of state for agriculture, said Indian air force jets had carried out air raids on “terror camps” inside Pakistan.
“Air Force carried out aerial strike early morning today at terror camps across the LoC and Completely destroyed it,” he wrote on Twitter, in the first Indian government comment on the raids.
India has repeatedly threatened military action against its neighbour Pakistan, who it blames of “controlling” a suicide attack that killed at least 42 Indian security forces personnel in the Indian-administered Kashmir on February 14.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
