Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated further on Wednesday as Pakistan’s air force allegedly downed two Indian fighter jets over Kashmir, a region divided between the countries, but fully claimed by both. Pakistan also said it arrested one of the Indian pilots and even distributed video footage of the prisoner, which is a violation of the Geneva Convention. The Indian government stated that it was missing one plane and one pilot. It also claimed to have retaliated by taking down a Pakistani plane.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday also stated that it had launched airstrikes on “nonmilitary targets” in Indian-controlled Kashmir as a warning sign, while “avoiding human loss and collateral damage.” The ministry claimed that Pakistan has “no intention of escalation, but [is] fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm.” Meanwhile, at a meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, India, and China, India’s official said that her country does not want “further escalation” of the situation either.
The crisis in Kashmir began two weeks ago with a suicide attack by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) that killed 42 members of India’s Central Reserve Police Force. India has blamed Pakistan for the attack, and on Tuesday launched airstrikes on what it claimed to be a JeM training facility on Pakistani territory. Pakistan said that those airstrikes struck a deserted area.
Read more: Pakistan says it shot down two Indian jets as Kashmir border crisis deepens
