Indian Rafales patrolling above held Kashmir retreat after PAF scrambles jets: state media

Indian fighter jets patrolling above occupied Kashmir were forced to flee after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled its jets, state media PTV News reported on Wednesday, adding to tensions between the two countries in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

India, without offering any evidence, has implied cross-border linkages of the attackers, while Pakistan’s political and military leadership have strongly denied any involvement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a neutral probe into the incident.

The tensions between the arch-rivals have intensified in the past few days, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif saying Pakistan had reinforced its forces and was ready for any incursion by India, while on the other side, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “operational freedom” to act on the Pahalgam attack.

PTV News, citing security sources, said that four Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were spotted “patrolling” occupied Kashmir without crossing the Line of Control.

“Aircraft of the PAF immediately spotted the Indian fighter jets,” the report added.

“As a result of PAF’s diligent action, the Indian Rafale jets panicked and were forced to flee,” it said.

The development comes after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar earlier today said “credible intelligence” reports indicated that India was planning to conduct a military action against Pakistan in the “next 24 to 36 hours”.

In a televised statement issued shortly after 2am, Tarar said: “Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident.”

He said Pakistan vehemently rejected “Indian self-assumed hubristic role of judge, jury and executioner in the region” and it was completely “reckless”.