India scrambles Sukhoi jets after Pak drone sighted near border: Sources

Neither the Indian fighter jets nor the Pakistani jets violated airspace restrictions

The Indian Air Force on Monday scrambled two Sukhoi-30 fighters from an airbase in Punjab after a Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicle was spotted close to the border. Soon enough, the Pakistan Air Force also responded by launching two F-16 fighters, said sources.

This comes over a month after a PAF F-16 was shot down by IAF’s MiG-21 Bison piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later taken into custody by Pakistan after he crossed over during the mid-air dogfight.

Neither the Indian fighter jets nor the Pakistani jets violated airspace restrictions.

This comes over a month after a PAF F-16 was shot down by IAF’s MiG-21 Bison piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later taken into custody by Pakistan during the mid-air dogfight.

India and Pakistan have been on the edge following an attack against Indian troopers by a terrorist of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed on February 14.

Several Pakistani drones trying to intrude into the Indian territory have been shot down by Indian Air Defence Systems after that incident.

On March 9, Indian forces shot down a Pakistani drone as it tried to enter Indian air space in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan.

In another such case on March 4, the IAF shot down a Pakistani military drone using an air-to-air missile in the Bikaner sector of the India-Pakistan border. On February 27, a Pakistani drone was targeted by Indian defence forces, again in the Bikaner sector, while trying to enter Indian air space.