India and Pakistan claimed effective combat success Wednesday after a night of deadly aerial confrontation as major international organizations confirmed that Indian took heavy losses with downing of at least three warplanes.
New Delhi and Indian military have not officially confirmed the jet crashes yet.
India claimed that it struck nine targets in Pakistani cities and Pakistan-administered Kashmir which it identified a sites of “terror infrastructure.” Pakistani officials said the Indian attack killed 26 Pakistani civilians and hit Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project.
India named its offensive as “Operation Sundoor” in response to April 22 attack in Pahalagam on its side of Kashmir. India alleged that attackers had links to Pakistan. Islamabad has firmly denied the allegation
In their reports hour after the clash, the New York Times, Reuters news service and Indian media, citing unnamed Indian officials said they confirmed the crash of three jets but gave no reasons for their downing.’
In Pakistan, the military said it shot down five Indian warplanes including French-made high-tech Rafale jets. Pakistani officials said they stopped Indian planes from entering the Pakistani airspace and that Indians carried out strikes from within their space.
According to Reuters, three Indian aircraft crashed in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday as told by four local government sources.
The New York Times reported that as per Indian news channels and witnesses at least one aircraft had crashed on the Indian side of Kashmir while a second aircraft was reported to have been downed in the Indian state of Punjab,.
In its report, the Times said a weapons researcher, who analyzed witness photos from one wreckage site, in the village of Wuyan in India-administered Kashmir, r identified the debris as an external fuel tank for a plane.
Trevor Ball, an analyst associated with Armament Research Services, assessed that the tank was likely from a Rafale or Mirage fighter jet, both of which are made by the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation and used by India, according to the report.
However, Times said, Ball could not confirm whether the tank had come from an aircraft that had been hit by enemy fire.
Meanwhile, video clips on Pakistani social media also showed downing of jets at night time.
In Pakistan, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Lt. General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhary said India “targeted and damaged the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project. Does international and war laws allow targeting the water reserves of a country?”
He said Indian strikes hit mosques and civilian areas, killing at least 26 civilians and injuring another 46. He said the Indian actions reflected the extreme rightwing Hindutva ideology.
The sites targeted by India included Ahmedpur East and Muridke.
In Ahmedpur East, a mosque was struck, injuring 37 people, including nine women and three young girls. Masjid Abbas, another mosque was hit, killing a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy, while a mother and daughter were wounded. A third mosque in Muridke was also targeted, resulting in the martyrdom of three men and injuries to one more.
Five more civilians, including a child, were martyred in unprovoked Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC). However, attacks in Sialkot and Shakargarh fortunately caused no casualties or property damage.
He also revealed that at the time of the Indian attack, multiple domestic and foreign commercial flights were airborne within Pakistani airspace, carrying thousands of passengers.
The ISPR head said Pakistan Air Force shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale jets and one MiG-29 aircraft, in areas like Bathinda, Jammu, and Srinagar. “The Indian planes were shot down when the enemy attacked Pakistan,” he said.
The Pakistan Army, he said, also targeted and destroyed key Indian military positions. These included the destruction of the Indian Infantry Brigade Headquarters and enemy check posts at Danna, Gafdar, Dodhial, Chhatri, and Khaki Tekri.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif chaired the meeting of National Security Council and also addressed the Parliament on how Pakistan will respond to the Indian aggression.
All the educational institutions in Lahore, capital and the most populous city of Punjab, the scene of overnight strikes, were closed today.
Economists believe that the war may lead to economic sufferings in South Asia, a home to a large part of the world’s population.
“The war may lead to aggravate the economic slow down the South Asia is already passing through,” says Dr. Qais Aslam , an economist.
