IAF pilot captured by Pak after air combat; Pak F16 shot down
New Delhi, February 27
A day after the Indian Air Force bombed a terror facility in Balakot, relations between India and Pakistan remained tense on Wednesday, with India losing a fighter aircraft and its pilot taken into custody by Pakistan — whose planes intruded the Indian airspace in the morning.
India interpreted the attempt by Pakistan Air Force to intrude into its airspace and target military installations as an “unprovoked act of aggression”. This, coupled with the closure of airspace in northern India and the movement of military transport planes, triggered speculation of a gradual escalation in India’s response.
The capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and Pakistan pushing video clips of his capture and speaking in custody contributed to increasing tension, triggering several countries to call for de-escalation and restraint.
By circulating the clips of the injured pilot through social media, Pakistan attempted to alter the mood both at home and in India following the attacks at Balakot on Tuesday. It certainly thrusts greater immediacy on India to take steps necessary to amend it.
India also handed over to Pakistan a dossier on “specific details” of involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack.
Uncertainty looms in the country on what next to expect — take the offer of talks reiterated by Pakistan PM Imran Khan or go ahead on a road that increases pressure on Islamabad to crack down on terror, including isolating Pakistan through a diplomatic offensive.
The narrative built around the policy of “terror and talks cannot go hand in hand”, that got accentuated after the Pulwama attack, will now be tested to its maximum. Yet, waging a battle on a limited scale as the only option is something only strategic planners would know. — TNS
Dogfight after Pak air force ‘aggression’
Time 10 am
- Indian radars pick up 12 Pak jets approaching LoC. Three of these — Mirage- III, F-16 and J-17 — cross LoC, near Nowshera
- They target three places — near battalion headquarters at ‘Nangi Terki’; near brigade HQs at Kalal, near an ammunition dump at Naria
- IAF’s combat air patrol comprising a MiG-21, a MiG-29 and a Sukhoi react. A chase ensues
Duration 20 minutes
- Single-engine MiG-21 Bison piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman gets into a dogfight or close combat
- IAF’s twin-engine MiG-29 and Sukhoi chase the remaining two PAF jets, forcing them to turn around
- Wing Commander Varthaman ejects and lands in PoK territory. One of the Pak jets also hit in close combat, its pilot ejects
