‘PAF targeted three of our military installations’, confirms Indian MEA

NEW DELHI: In a few seconds briefing on Wednesday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that an aircraft was shot down and its pilot is missing.

The spokesperson for the Indian MEA said, “We unfortunately lost one MiG-21 in this engagement and an Indian pilot is missing in action.

“In the aerial engagement, a Pakistan fighter aircraft shot down a MiG-21 Bison,” he added.

The MEA official further said Pakistan Air Force (PAF) targeted three military installations of India.

Moments earlier, Indian media had confirmed an Indian Air Force (IAF) wing commander is in Pakistan’s custody.

Sources: IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan took off in a MiG 21 Bison jet today, he is yet to return pic.twitter.com/coryHqeRsR

— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2019

India media reports stated IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan took off in a MiG 21 Bison jet and is yet to return. Wing Commander Abhinandan is the son of a retired Indian Air Marshal, the reports added.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan military released a video statement of a captured Indian pilot, hours after shooting down the jet, he was flying in.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) after striking down two Indian fighter jets has arrested two of the pilots, who ejected themselves after being hit in the airspace of Pakistan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“I’m wing commander Abhinandan and my service number is 27981,” the arrested Indian pilot said in his video statement.

I’m a flying pilot of the Indian air force (IAF), he continued in his statement.

PAF shoots down two IAF jets

Two fighter jets of Indian Air Force were shot down by Pakistan Air Force in bright day light on Wednesday, said Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor.

According to the DG ISPR, Indian fighter jets violated Line of Control (LoC) today, and in a robust response, the PAF destroyed two aircraft of IAF inside Pakistani airspace.