New Delhi: A Pakistani drone was shot down by IAF fighter jets with an air-to-air missile Monday, after it violated Indian air space over Anupgarh in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, defence sources told ThePrint.
At around 11.30 am, the sources said, Indian radars picked up an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Indian air space.
Two fighter jets were immediately deployed by the IAF, the sources added, and the UAV subsequently shot down with an air-to-air missile.
According to the sources, the UAV was spotted in an area where, on 27 February, the Pakistan Air Force had attempted to intrude with 10-12 aircraft. In that incident, they said, the aircraft were challenged by IAF fighters on combat patrol and kept from breaching Indian air space.
Meanwhile, several Pakistanis alleged on Twitter Monday that the IAF had breached Pakistan’s air space and carried out bombings near Fort Abbas in Pakistani Punjab. Fort Abbas stands almost exactly opposite Anupgarh, at a similar distance from the international border.
https://twitter.com/momi270/status/1102464240059846656
BREAKING: Unconfirmed reports from Pakistani sources saying Indian Air Force has dropped bombs near Fort Abbas, Pakistan.
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) March 4, 2019
Speaking to ThePrint, Indian Air Force (IAF) sources denied the charge. Later, some other Pakistanis pointed out, also via Twitter, that the objects believed to have been fragments of IAF bombs were actually parts of an external fuel tank, dropped by Pakistan Air Force jets.
Today dated 4-3-19 at 1100 hours blasts were heard in general area 247-HR near Toba Shahwan wala PS Fort Abbass.
PAF experts after inquiry have stated that our crafts dropped EFTs ( extra fuel tanks) during their flights in the area. No cross border violation took place.
— Major (R) Usman (@pkclusterupdate) March 4, 2019
Today dated 4-3-19 at 1100 hours blasts were heard in general area 247-HR near Toba Shahwan wala PS Fort Abbass. #PAF experts after inquiry have stated that our crafts dropped EFTs ( extra fuel tanks) during their flights in the area. No cross border violation took place.
— Sajjad Khan (@sajjadnwa) March 4, 2019
Also read: Pakistan subjected Wing Commander Abhinandan to loud music & bright lights to break him
On high alert
The Indian Air Force, Army and Navy have been on high alert since an escalation in India-Pakistan tensions last week.
On 26 February, 12 days after the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack, the IAF had carried out air strikes on one of the largest training camps of the terror group in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Air Force retaliated the next day, but was unsuccessful in its attempts to target Indian military installations near the Line of Control (LoC) after a dogfight with the IAF.
On 28 February, in a rare joint press conference, the three services said they were on high alert and ready to thwart any Pakistani plan.
At a press conference Monday, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa referred to the 27 February dogfight, describing it as an “ongoing operation”.
According to news reports , Pakistani drone attempted to cross Rajasthan border on 9 March 2019. It returned safely when BSF fired upon. Later in the same day on 9 March another military drone is reported to have crossed the border line near Sriganganagar , Rajasthan when the Indian army shot it down. Similar incident of intrusion by a Pakistani drone was reported in the news at Rajasthan border earlier a few days past in March 2019. Obviously , these are worrisome concerns for India. Rajasthan was also in news when IAF MIG -21 crashed there on 6 March 2019 . In this context , it is apt to mention this Vedic astrology writer’s predictive alert in – “ The Year 2019 Astrologically for India” – published last year on 7 October , 2018 at theindiapost.com. The alert had emphasized need of more care and appropriate strategy in Rajasthan also covering more than one aspects of life including while flying in the air. One of worrisome aspects during February -March 2019 in , among other States , Rajasthan also had this textual description : –
“ February -March 2019. These nearly two months appear to be calling for more care and appropriate strategy in relation to more than one front. Be on guard against war or war like postures of China and Pakistan. …………..Human malice may be at its height in operation. …Major air accidents cannot be ruled out……………………………..Take appropriate precautions. States in the northern India like ………..Rajasthan could take cues for more care and appropriate strategy in the aforesaid areas of life”. Later and separately , the worrisome period was brought more closer and precise by saying that 14 February , 22 February , 3 March and 11- 12 March or a day prior and after to all these dates called for more care and appropriate strategy. It seems the alerts were meaningfully precise. https://www.theindiapost.com/headline/the-year-2019-astrologically-for-india/
That means Pakistan’s intrusion on 27 Feb occurred in sri ganganagar dist in Rajasthan? I always thought that it was somewhere in JK. This is not a good sign. It means they are willing to open up different fronts, like India did in 1965. That was the last time a war was fought in Rajasthan.