Pakistan claims to have downed five Indian fighter jets in response to the missile attacks by India at six different locations in Pakistan on Tuesday night.
Director General Inter Services Public Relations, Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed in his press briefing that Pakistan Air Force downed five Indian jets. He also confirmed 26 people lost their lives while 46 people were injured in these attacks that hit Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, and Muridke.
Speaking during a briefing on Wednesday, the DG ISPR said that India carried out 24 airstrikes on six different locations inside Pakistani territory. He said 13 people were martyred in the Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East Area. The deceased included two three-year-old girls, seven women, and four men. In addition, 37 individuals were injured, including nine women and 28 men.
Another attack occurred in Kotli on a Mosque, where the Abbas Mosque was targeted. Two teenagers, an 18-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, were martyred.
“The Pakistan Air Force engaged these aircraft only after they carried out attacks on Pakistani territory,” DG ISPR said. “Their aggression targeted the territorial integrity of Pakistan and endangered civilian lives,” he added.
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DG ISPR added that Pakistan could strike down 10 Indian fighter jets but exercised restraint. He also informed that India attacked the Nauseri Dam, part of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project. The military termed the move a “dangerous escalation” and warned of its implications.
“This is an unacceptable act,” DG ISPR said. “Targeting water infrastructure raises serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law and war conventions.”
He also said that Indian airstrikes endangered civil aviation, as nearly 57 international airlines were traveling through Pakistan’s airspace at the time of the Indian attack.
“The presence of civilian aircraft highlights the recklessness of this operation,” he noted. “Pakistan has the right to respond to any act of aggression in a manner and time of its choosing,” Lt. Gen Chaudhry said in the briefing.