NEWDELHI: Indian fighter jets were scrambled front a frontline base in Rajasthan’s Bikaner sector on Monday morning to engage an incoming threat from Pakistan, a senior official in the security establishment said on condition of anonymity.
HT FILE■ Russian made Su-30Mki – a twin-engine air dominance fighter – scrambled from a base along the International Border around 11.30am after air-defence radars picked up an incoming unmanned aerial vehicle or drone, officials said.
THE INCIDENT COMES AFTER A PAKISTANI DRONE WAS SHOT DOWN ON FEBRUARY 26 IN THE GUJARAT SECTOR
Russian made Su-30Mki – a twin-engine air dominance fighter – scrambled from a base along the international border at about 11.30 am after air-defence radars picked up an incoming unmanned aerial vehicle or drone. Indian fighters engaged it with “air-to-air missiles,” the official added. Besides the Su-30MKi there were other fighters in the package as well, this person said without elaborating.
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. On February 26, Indian fighter jets struck a Jaish facility at Balakot in Pakistan. Pakistan responded with a strike by its own fighters that was repulsed on February 27.
Monday’s attempted air-intrusion was over Anupgarh that is located along the International Border a few kilometers east of Bahawalpur , the base of the banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The Indian Air Force, however, refused to comment on the drone intrusion.
The incident comes after a Pakistani drone was shot down on February 26 in the Gujarat sector.
Earlier on Monday Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said “operations” against Pakistan were “ongoing”.
All three services – Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy – are in a heightened state of alert. All ground formations especially those along the Line-of-Control (LoC) – the disputed de-facto border between India and Pakistan – and the settled border – International Border – are in a state of alert. Air Bases in Western India – for instance, Suratgarh, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Bhuj in Gujarat Sirsa, Halwara, Ambala, Adamour, Bhatinda and Pathankot in Punjab and those in Jammu and Kashmir including Jammu, Awantipora and Srinagar – are launching Combat Air Patrols to ward off any incoming threats. Air bases and radar stations like those Amritsar are also on an alert.