Summary
- Pakistan says it has shot down two Indian fighter jets, and arrested two pilots
- India confirms it lost a plane in a dogfight and that a pilot is "missing"
- Pakistan denies Indian claim that one of its jets was downed
- On Tuesday, India targeted militants across the Line of Control (LoC) in disputed Kashmir
- It was in retaliation for a militant-claimed attack on 14 February that killed 40 Indian troops
- The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars and a limited conflict over Kashmir
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Dubai Airports confirms flights to and from Pakistan have been impacted until further notice due to the closure of Pakistani airspace. We are working closely with airlines, control authorities & air traffic controllers to minimise operational impact and customer inconvenience.1/2
Dubai Airports will continue to closely monitor the situation. Passengers on affected flights are advised to check with their respective airlines for updates. 2/2
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not publicly commented on the situation since Tuesday.
All we've had officially from India since the Pakistani incursion and subsequent dogfight on Wednesday morning was a very short foreign ministry press statement.
Pakistan has held a longer military press briefing and PM Imran Khan has addressed the nation (see posts below).
But on Tuesday, the Indian PM – who will face an election by the end of May – assured Indians that he would "protect the motherland from all humiliation and threats".
Mr Khan has repeatedly suggested that India's response to the incident that sparked tensions in the first place – a militant attack on Indian forces on 14 February – has been guided by concerns about the election.
India has, of course, rejected that and says its neighbour provides safe haven to militants.
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Pakistani President Arif Alvi has described Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement (see posts below) as a "very appropriate, precise and compassionate message".
Mr Alvi says that "Pakistan wants peace" and that "sanity should prevail".
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Very appropriate, precise and compassionate message conveyed to India by Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI. Pakistan wants peace, it is to ready to help in investigation if any actionable information is provided. War has its own unmanageable dynamics, therefore sanity should prevail.
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When Indian bombs fell on Pakistani territory on Tuesday morning, officials in Pakistan went to great lengths to show that the arsenal was released from outside Pakistani airspace.
Wednesday's Pakistani strikes into Indian Kashmir show the military was under too much pressure and had to show an equivalent response.
The dogfight this morning has sparked fears that India will now be under similar pressure to retaliate.
Reports of a meeting of the National Command Authority that controls Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal have added to these fears.
All civilian airports have been closed for traffic, except Karachi which is only receiving incoming international flights headed for other Pakistani cities.
The situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir is worse, with artillery shelling reported across the Line of Control (LoC).
The authorities on the Pakistan side of Kashmir have declared a state of emergency in the region; educational institutions have been ordered to close, district authorities have set up emergency centres in their offices, and populations living close to the LoC have been asked to move to safer areas.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has just called on India for talks and de-escalation, but a lot will depend on how India responds to this morning's developments.
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Analysts are asking what role outside powers, especially the United States, can play in defusing this crisis.
Right now President Donald Trump is in Vietnam, where he will later meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss denuclearisation.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has spoken with both Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers.
"I expressed to both ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost," he said in a statement.
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Probably the best thing the George W. Bush Administration did for the world was to manage a de-escalation of the 2002 India-Pakistan crisis. I well remember Richard Armitage's shuttle diplomacy in June 2002. I doubt the US has the capacity or respect to do the same right now
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In his statement, Mr Khan also stressed that both Pakistan and India, each nuclear-armed, should be responsible.
"What I want to say to India is this: it is of utmost importance that we use sense and wisdom.
"All big wars are the result of miscalculations. Hitler never thought the war would go on for so many years. Americans never imagined that wars in Vietnam or Afghanistan would extend into decades.
"My question is, with the kind of weapons that we both have, can we afford a miscalculation? If we let it happen, it will remain neither in my control nor [Indian PM] Narendra Modi’s."
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Imran Khan is defending Pakistan's retaliation following Tuesday's air strikes by India in Pakistani territory.
He says that he offered to help India investigate the 14 February militant attack that saw dozens of Indian security personnel killed in Kashmir and triggered tensions."We had told India that if you take unilateral action, we'll be forced to respond if you do anything. But India became judge, jury and executioner."
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The Pakistani leader says that two Indian MiG fighter jets were shot down.
India earlier said it had only lost one plane.
“We shot two of their MiGs. The pilots are with us," Mr Khan said.
"But where do we go from here? I’m asking India. We must be responsible."
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Prime Minister Khan says in a televised address that Pakistan's morning strikes were not meant to cause casualties or damage. He said they were only meant to show Pakistan's "capability".
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Imran Khan has just started speaking about today's dramatic events.
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Rehman Malik, Pakistan's outspoken former interior minister, has also weighed into the debate to take a jibe at India's PM Narendra Modi and laud Pakistan's military.
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War Panga by PM Modi and drive indian poor public towards war through war syndrome agst Pakistan trying to cash this escalation for his Gen elections at very heavy cost peace in this region .
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This picture from Bhimber, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, shows what Pakistan says is the wreckage of an Indian fighter jet.
India has just confirmed that it did lose a warplane in this morning's dogfight.
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Here's more details from that short Indian government briefing:
- The spokesman said Pakistan responded to India's strikes on Tuesday by targeting "military installations" with its warplanes
- He said Indian aircraft "responded instantly" and "foiled their attempts successfully"
- One Pakistani plane was shot down by an Indian MiG-21 and "fell" on the Pakistani side
- In the dogfight, India lost a MiG-21 and the pilot is "missing in action"
It's worth noting that Pakistan says it did not strike military targets in its action this morning and denied one of its F-16s had been shot down.
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Spokesman Raveesh Kumar says that India has "unfortunately lost" a MiG-21 and that the pilot is missing.
He said India is assessing the situation and acknowledged Pakistan said it was holding the pilot.
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The spokesman says it was seen by ground forces "falling from the sky" on the Pakistani side.
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A foreign ministry spokesperson is speaking live on TV
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Everyone expected the main news this week would be the Trump-Kim talks in Vietnam. Now all eyes are glued to Kashmir. But some are suggesting that India and Pakistan could in fact learn from the recent thaw in relations between the two Koreas – although much is yet to be resolved even on that front.
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Indian Railways, which runs one of the world's largest rail networks, has issued a security alert amid the tensions.
Security will be boosted on all trains in border areas and at stations, an official told Indian news agency PTI.
"We have also identified specific targets related to railways and have beefed up security there," Arun Kumar said.
No trains have yet been cancelled.
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Pakistan's information ministry has published footage of what it says is the wreckage of an Indian fighter jet it shot down.
As we keep saying, India has not yet confirmed any of its warplanes were downed.
But we expect to be hearing from the government shortly and we will bring you their response.
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Wreckges of Indian fighter planes burning. Well done Pakistan Air Force. The entire nation is proud of you.
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