Baffled Indian military officers hold first press conference after PAF strike

NEW DELHI (92 News) – The Indian military officers on Thursday held a first press conference after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) air strike which came out to be a magnum opus of confusion and skepticism. Addressing to a press conference, top generals from the Indian air force, army and navy again renewed claims that India had shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet. To a question that there was some skepticism about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff said it was up to the political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strike’s success. “We are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation from Pakistan,” said Indian Army’s Major General Surendra Singh Mahal. He claimed ground-based air defence weapons had been put on high alert along the Line of Control. India’s Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor said the decision to free the pilot, though welcome, simply followed international norms around prisoners of war. “We are extremely happy to have him back. We want to see him back,” he told reporters. “We only see it as a gesture which is in consonance with all Geneva conventions.” On the contrary, Indian media and defence officials had made fake claims that 300 militants belonging to JeM were killed in IAF airstrikes in Balakot district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Indian forces remain on a heightened state of alert despite Pakistan’s efforts to deescalate tensions and announcement to free a captured pilot, top Indian military chiefs said on Thursday. On Tuesday, DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had rejected Indian media claims that IAF jets remained in Pakistani airspace for 21 minutes. He dared Indian Air Force to remain in Pakistani airspace for 21 minutes and see what happens. He said that about four IAF jets remained across LOC for about 5 to 6 minutes and they sped away following timely response by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). On their way back they dropped the payload they had brought along to presumably hit targets. They could hardly intrude about 4 nautical miles. Dispelling the impression that IAF aircraft had intruded to about 50 to 60 miles inside the territory, he said the impression might had been created in the minds as the payload had dropped at a distant place. He showed photographs of huge craters caused due to dropping of payload in a jungle in Jaba village.