According to the newspaper The Hindu, citing government sources, at least three Indian Air Force fighter jets crashed on Wednesday in areas of Kashmir under Indian control. The incidents occurred in Akhnoor, Ramban, and Pampore, and the exact causes of the crashes are unknown, according to a report from the Chinese agency Xinhua.
Following an air offensive launched by India during the early hours targeting objectives in Pakistan and the Kashmir controlled by Islamabad, the Pakistani Army confirmed that it had shot down five Indian aircraft and destroyed four drones that violated its airspace at different points in the territory. "This is the fifth Indian fighter jet shot down," said Pakistani military sources, emphasizing that these aircraft were downed for violating national sovereignty.
From Islamabad, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the events and accusing India of carrying out an "unprovoked and flagrant act of war." "The Indian Air Force violated Pakistani sovereignty by attacking civilian areas on the Pakistani side of the international border," denounced spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan. Among the targeted locations were districts in Punjab, Bahawalpur, and Sheikhupura, as well as Muzaffarabad, Bagh, and Kotli in the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
The military escalation has raised concerns about stability in the region, where India and Pakistan have a long-standing territorial conflict and possess nuclear weapons. The recent events have intensified tensions between the two countries, putting the international community on alert due to the severity of the situation in the Kashmir region.
