Pakistan says it shot down Indian drone, Army and IAF say not ours

The Pakistan army said Wednesday it had shot down an Indian “spy” drone which it alleged was being used for aerial photography near the Line of Control (LoC), a claim dismissed by India. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a brief statement, said the Indian drone was brought down near the LoC in Bhimber area of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The army claimed that the drone was being used for aerial photography and was “brought down for violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity”.

But the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force denied that any of their drones had crashed or had been shot down. A spokesperson of the Indian Army said: “Some reports of a drone crash in PoK are being referred to. No drone or UAV crash of the Indian Army has taken place.” An IAF spokesperson also denied that any of their drone had been brought down. (ENS adds: It is learnt that Pakistan plans to summon the Indian high commissioner in Islamabad on Thursday to lodge a protest.) The alleged shooting down of the drone came nearly a week after the ice-breaking meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa, Russia. The incident comes in the backdrop of a ceasefire violation Wednesday by Pakistan. PTI

Source: indianexpress.com