Indian jets force retreat of 4 Pak F-16s flying close to Punjab border: Report

The Indian Air Force had displayed parts of an AMRAAM, an air-to-air missile, as evidence that Pakistan had deployed F-16 fighters during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Jammu on on February 27. Pakistan’s action came after IAF bombed terror camps in its Balakot region.

An F16 fighter jet. (Representational picture/AFP)

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force swung into action early Monday and scrambled its fighter jets in response to Pakistani jets that were detected flying close to the Indian border in Punjab. According to news agency ANI’s Sources, Indian radars detected a large-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a package of four Pakistani F-16 fighter jets flying close to the Indian border in Khemkaran sector in Punjab. The incident took place at 3 am this morning. Subsequently, the IAF swiftly responded and scrambled Su-30MKIs and Mirage-2000 fighter jets. Observing India’s retaliation, the Pakistani jets were forced to retreat further into their territory. In a fresh violation of the end-user agreement with the US, Pakistan has yet again used the F-16 fighter jets against India. The F-16s are meant to be used only to combat terrorism. Documents available in public domain reveal that Washington has imposed more than a dozen restrictions on Pakistan relating to its use of the F-16 fighter jets. In the past few weeks, India has downed several Pakistani drones trying to intrude into the Indian territory. The Indian Air Force had displayed parts of an AMRAAM, an air-to-air missile, as evidence that Pakistan had deployed F-16 fighters during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Jammu on on February 27. Pakistan’s action came after IAF bombed terror camps in its Balakot region. Pakistan had said that no F-16s were used in the operation and refuted reports of India downing any of its planes. In another development, a BSF officer and a minor girl were killed as Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling on forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, sparking panic among border residents, officials told news agency PTI.