India-Pakistan tensions soar as massive aerial clash erupts
India and Pakistan are on the brink of war following India's attacks on Pakistani and Kashmiri territory. The aerial combat on the first day of the conflict escalation between Pakistan and India was one of the largest and longest in recent aviation history, reports CNN.
What do you need to know?
- India carried out attacks on Pakistani and Kashmiri territory, claiming the targets were "terror infrastructure." The attacks are in response to the massacre of tourists in Kashmir in April.
- Pakistan announces retaliation, but promises that it will strike only military targets in India. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claims that five Indian fighter jets were shot down.
- The aerial combat between Pakistani and Indian fighters was one of the "largest and longest in recent aviation history," reports CNN.
What are Pakistan's reactions to India's attacks?
Following India's attacks, Pakistan announced that its response would be limited to military targets. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif emphasised that Islamabad is avoiding a full-scale war but is ready to defend itself. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the air force for shooting down Indian fighters, which is supposed to be proof of Pakistan's effective defence. He simultaneously announced retaliation against India.
CNN: the largest and longest battle in recent aviation history
The aerial battle between Pakistani and Indian fighters was one of the "largest and longest in recent aviation history," reports CNN, citing a high-ranking security source from Pakistan.
According to the portal, a total of up to 125 fighters were engaged in the air for over an hour. Interestingly, according to the Pakistani source, neither side left its own airspace.
"Missile exchanges were happening at distances sometimes greater than 160 kilometers," the CNN portal reports.
Why such caution from the air forces of both countries? It was about avoiding the humiliation that would result from a plane being shot down. CNN cites a case from 2019 when an Indian Air Force pilot was shot down over Pakistani territory and shown on television before returning to India.
