New Delhi: Pakistan Air Force deploying advanced JF 17 fighter Jets atForward Air Base near Kashmir, claims Indian intelligence.

Amid the ongoing tensions with Pakistan over the abrogation of Article 370,Pakistani forces have started moving equipment to their forward bases closeto Ladakh.

“Three C-130 transport aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force were used onSaturday to ferry equipment to their Skardu airbase opposite the UnionTerritory of Ladakh.

Sources said the equipment moved to the forward operating base could besupport equipment for fighter aircraft operations. Pakistanis are mostlikely to move in their JF-17 fighter planes to the Skardu airfield, theysaid.

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The Indian intelligence agencies along with the Air Force and Army arekeeping a close watch on the movement of the Pakistani Air Force.

The Pakistanis use an older version of the C-130 transport aircraftsupplied by the Americans a long time ago and one of their military rulersGen Zia Ul Haq was also killed in power when the C-130 in which he wastravelling crashed in August 1988 due to a bomb explosion.

Sources said the Pakistan Air Force was planning to conduct an exercise ofits Air Force and Army elements and the move of shifting planes to theforward base could also be a part of it. Skardu is a forward operating baseof the Pakistan Air Force and it uses it to support its Army operations onthe border with India.