Pakistan claims 2 IAF pilots arrested, one injured pilot shifted to hospital

The flare up in the cross-LoC shelling, which was initiated by Pakistani troops in early hours of Wednesday, has resulted in security forces and other establishments being put on a heightened alert.

Pakistan's army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor . FILE PIC/AFP.

New Delhi: Asserting that today’s action was in self-defence, Pakistan Army on Wednesday said that it has apprehended two Indian Air Force pilots for violating their airspace, one of whom it claimed is injured and is being medically treated. Reiterating multiple times that that Pakistan wanted “peace” in the region, Major General Asif Ghafoor said the Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across LoC to demonstrate its right, will and capability for self defence. Ghafoor said both Indian Air Force aircrafts were shot down and wreckage of one fell into their territory. "After PAF decided on targets, two Indian jets entered Pakistani airspace. PAF was ready, faced them. The two planes were shot down. One fell in our space, another on their side. Two pilots were arrested. One of the pilots was injured and has been taken to CMH. He will be given proper care. Another is in our custody," he added. The Army spokesperson claimed that the attack was conducted in a manner which causing no loss to civilian life or amount to collateral damage. “Today's action was in self-defence and we demonstrated our capability. We did not target any administrative set up or military posts on the Indian side. We will retaliate if aggression is imposed on us. We are not pushing the environment towards war.” “We to want to follow a path which leads to peace and people on both sides deserve to live and live in peace,” he said. “We don’t want to indicate any victory. There are no victors in war. I request media to report objectively, responsibly, to go towards peace. Our message is for peace, he further said. "Starting a war is easy, but where it ends, nobody knows." The spokesperson refuted reports of F16 being used in the action today. India has confirmed the shooting down of a Pakistani Air Force F-16 fighter jet by Indian air defence forces in Rajouri sector of Jammu region on Wednesday morning, officials said. The aircraft was brought down in Jhangar area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri  sector, officials in the Army were quoted by news agency PTI. Pakistan has also released a "confessional video" of one the pilots which appears to be fake. Meanwhile, Pakistan this morning suspended flight operations across major airports, including Islamabad and Lahore, for an indefinite period in the wake of the escalating tensions with India, a top civil aviation authority said. The move comes amid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after IAF carried out strikes on terror bases in Pakistan. India has also closed five airports in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh and Amritsar, on Wednesday for civilian air traffic shortly after an IAF jet crashed in Kashmir's Budgam district, officials said. The flare up in the cross-LoC shelling, which was initiated by Pakistani troops in early hours of Wednesday, has resulted in security forces and other establishments being put on a heightened alert.