Three Pakistan Army soldiers were killed after firing by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC), said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Pakistan Media – The Tribune claims that seven Indian soldiers were also killed and 19 others injured. This claim has however been outrightly rejected by Indian defence experts.
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According to reports in Pakistan Media, Indian forces targetted Pakistani positions in the Rakhchakri area of Rawalakot Sector. As a result of the skirmish, Subedar Muhammad Riaz from Jhang, Lance Havaldar Azizullah from Noshero Feroz and Sepoy Shahid Mansib from Abbottabad were martyred. Another soldier sustained injuries in the incident.
On February 26, the Indian Air Force (IAF) violated Pakistani airspace. The country’s top civil and military leadership declared the violation of airspace by Indian fighter jets “uncalled for aggression” and decided that the country would respond at a “time and place of its choosing”.
On February 27, Pakistan announced it had shot down two Indian fighter jets that attempted to violate its airspace and captured an Indian pilot. The military’s media wing later released a video of the pilot, who introduced himself as Wing Commander Abhinandan bearing service number 27981.
Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a press conference that the armed forces had responsibly retaliated to Indian incursion by striking a target few miles from an Indian military’s administrative unit to ensure there were no human life or collateral damage.“We decided to not hit a military target or endanger human life. We did not want to retaliate at the cost of regional peace. We do not want escalation,” he told reporters.
