The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) detected four Indian Rafale fighter jets patrolling near the Line of Control (LoC) late Tuesday night, prompting a coordinated response that forced the jets to retreat. According to security sources, the Indian aircraft were flying within the airspace over Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) when the PAF identified their presence and responded swiftly.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have been escalating following an attack in Pahalgam, a region in IIOJK, on April 22. The incident claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, and is one of the deadliest occurrences in the area since 2000.
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On April 23, India unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a vital water-sharing deal brokered by the World Bank that has endured through multiple conflicts.
India has hinted that cross-border elements may have been behind the attack but has not presented concrete evidence. Pakistan has strongly rejected the allegations, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling for an independent investigation to uncover the facts.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Atta Tarar issued a warning late Tuesday, stating that Pakistan has credible intelligence suggesting India could launch a military strike within 24 to 36 hours, citing the Pahalgam attack as justification. The minister criticized India’s actions, accusing it of assuming the roles of “judge, jury, and executioner” in the region, calling such behavior reckless and destabilizing.
