Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, including a Rafale, in response to India’s missile attacks on multiple Pakistani locations, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Wednesday that the country’s air defense forces had successfully downed five Indian military aircraft—one of them a Rafale fighter jet—during retaliatory strikes carried out late Tuesday night.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Asif warned that while Pakistan is open to dialogue, any further Indian aggression would be met with force. “If India abandons its aggressive posture, we are willing to talk. But any hostile move will receive a resolute response,” he said.
Pakistan’s counterattack also included a direct strike on an Indian Army brigade headquarters, according to a senior security official quoted by Pakistan’s state-run PTV. The attack reportedly caused significant damage to Indian military infrastructure, though India has yet to confirm or respond to these claims.
This development follows India’s missile assault on Azad Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, and Bahawalpur on Tuesday night. India claimed to have launched the strikes from within its own airspace. Pakistan’s military had earlier stated that the Indian attack damaged a mosque, a power grid station, and several structures but caused no casualties.
Tensions between the two nations have sharply escalated since the April 22 massacre in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, where 26 people were killed by unidentified gunmen. India has accused Pakistan of being behind the attack, an allegation Islamabad has denied, calling instead for an independent investigation.
As both nations raise military readiness and cut diplomatic ties, global observers and the United Nations have expressed deep concern about the rising risk of a broader conflict.
LND/BG
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