NEW DELHI: Indian forces remain on a “heightened” state of alert despitePakistan’s efforts to escalate tensions and announcement to free a capturedpilot, top Indian military chiefs said on Thursday.
Top generals from the Indian air force, army and navy also renewed claimsthat India had shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet.
“We are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond toany provocation from Pakistan,” said Indian Army’s Major General SurendraSingh Mahal at a press conference.
He said ground-based air defence weapons had been “put on high alert” alongthe Line of Control.
The top military officials also unveiled fragments from a missile theyclaimed matched the Pakistani F-16 fighter jet that purportedly crossedinto Indian airspace and was ‘shot down’.
Pakistan has denied New Delhi’s assertions that one of its fighters wasdowned during a dogfight that also saw an Indian plane lost.
The pilot of that jet, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, managed toeject but was apprehended by Pakistan Army and taken into custody.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said authorities would release him as a “peacegesture”.
But India’s Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor said the decision to free thepilot, though welcome, simply followed international norms around prisonersof war.
“We are extremely happy to have him back. We want to see him back,” he toldreporters. “We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with allGeneva conventions.” – APP/AFP