Both countries have ordered air strikes over the last 2 days, the 1st time in history that 2 nuclear-armed powers have done so.
February 28, 2019 6:53 AM
Tensions have been running high since at least 40 Indian paramilitary police died in a Feb 14 suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir, but the risk of conflict rose dramatically on Tuesday when India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base.
The Pentagon added to US pressure for restraint by the foes, issuing a statement that said Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan is focused “on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action.” Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called for talks with India and hoped “better sense” would prevail so that both sides could de-escalate.
A statement from India’s foreign ministry said the pilot’s treatment was a “vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention,” ordering his immediate release. India has not yet named the pilot. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the “blatant politicisation of the sacrifices made by our armed forces,” in a joint statement by 21 opposition parties, the first time they have broken ranks with the government over the issue.
Major General Asif Ghafoor, spokesman for the Pakistan armed forces, said two Indian jets had been shot down after they entered Pakistani airspace while responding to a Pakistani aerial mission on targets in Indian-controlled Kashmir. “This was not a retaliation in true sense, but to tell Pakistan has capability, we can do it, but we want to be responsible, we don’t want an escalation, we don’t want a war,” Ghafoor told a news conference.
At the Pakistani briefing, Ghafoor produced photographs of weapons and identity documents he said were carried by Indian pilots. The craft was initially reported by officials to be a plane, but a partial tail number from the craft seen by a Reuters witness showed it to be an Mi17 military helicopter. The cause of the crash was unknown.
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