Chandigarh: India’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that one of their pilots is missing, after Pakistan claimed to have captured two Indian pilots.
Ravish Kumar, the ministry spokesperson, also stresses need to “ascertain the facts” amid competing narratives with Pakistan.
Pakistani armed forces spokesperson and India’s Ministry of external affairs spokesperson held media briefings this afternoon after two nuclear empowered neighbours got first areal engagement after 1971.
MEDIA BRIEFING BY INDIA’S MEA SPOKESPERSON:
India’s Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar and Indian Air Force’s Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor held a press briefing.
Raveesh Kumar read out a prepared statement and said that Pakistan responded to yesterday’s strikes by India. He said due to readiness and preparedness of Indian airforce, Pakistan’s attempts were foiled successfully. The Pakistan Airforce were detected and the Indian Airforce responded instantly.
“In that areal engagement one Pakistan fighter aircraft was shot down by a MIG 21 Bisons of the Indian airforce. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by the ground forces falling from the sky on Pakistan side. In this engagement we have unfortunately lost one MIG 21, the pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts” India’s MEA Spokesperson added.
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MEDIA BRIEFING BY PAKISTANI ARMED FORCES SPOKESPERSON:
Pakistani armed forces spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan had decided to show its capabilities, will and resolve to respond back. He claimed that Pakistan had chosen to target at non-military places and avoid any sort of loss of human life or collator damage. He claimed that the Pakistani fighter planes engaged with their target from within Pakistani Air space.
He said that Pakistani fighters jets also got engaged with Indian fighter jets and in this engagement two of Indian planes were shot down. He claimed that one Indian plane fell in territory under Pakistan’s control and the other plane fell in territory under Indian control.
He said that there was information that another Indian plane fell at a distant area and Pakistan had nothing to do with that.
He maintained that two Indian pilots were captured by Pakistan.
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