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Pakistan today said it had scrambled warplanes after two Indian jets allegedly entered three nautical miles into the country's airspace over Punjab province.
Officials said the incident occurred over Pakpattan district, 200 km from Lahore, the capital of Punjab. They alleged the jets remained in Pakistani airspace for about two minutes.
"Two high-speed Indian aircraft violated Pakistani airspace by three nautical miles at about 1040 hours in Attari, Fazilka sector. The aircraft stayed inside Pakistani airspace for about two minutes," the Pakistan Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.
"Pakistan Air Force initiated prompt tactical actions and scrambled two fighter aircraft to challenge the intruders. Upon PAF actions, Indian aircraft exited the Pakistani airspace," the statement said.
In Delhi, an IAF official clarified that the fighter jets, on a routine flying training sortie, seem to have flown close to the border.
Media reports regarding "Indian fighter planes entering Pakistani territory is clarified that IAF aircraft which were on a routine flying training sortie seem to have flown close to the border and it appears to be a technical violation, the same has also been conveyed to the Pakistani authorities," IAF spokesperson Sq Ldr Priya Joshi said.
An official from Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority in Lahore told PTI that the Indian jets violated Pakistani airspace over Head Sulemanki area of Pakpattan district.
Pakistan has not yet officially registered a protest with India over the incident, said the official, who did not want to be named.
According to the Indo-Pak Agreement on Prevention of Airspace Violations, combat aircraft should not fly within 10-km of each other's airspace.
