Several Indian planes shot down and soldiers taken prisoner, Pakistan officials say

Several Indian planes have been shot down, and some soldiers have been taken prisoner, Pakistan officials have said, after India claimed it attacked nine militant hideouts in Pakistan.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Pakistani defence minister, told Bloomberg that at least five Indian planes have been downed.“If these hostile acts are stopped… We will definitely talk to India.

We do not want this situation to escalate,” the minister said. “But if there are hostile acts initiated from the Indian side, we have to respond.”

India’s defence ministry during the early hours of Wednesday fired missiles across the border into Pakistani-administered Kashmir. It said at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned” in retaliation against the mass shooting of tourists in April.

Pakistan military spokesperson said at least eight civilians were killed in India’s pre-dawn airstrikes. Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, accused India of an “act of war”.

Meanwhile, the Indian army has said that three Indian civilians have been killed following military action by Pakistani troops in Indian-administered Kashmir.

India has blamed Pakistan for the Kashmir attack in which 26 men, mostly tourists, were killed, and vowed to respond. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the killings.

(Source: Independent)