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Facing a steady decline in available fighter jets, the Indian Air Force is now reportedly in talks to buy 21 unfinished Soviet-era MiG-29 Fulcrums from Russia and have them completed in a modernized configuration. The proposed deal comes as India continues to struggle with a host of other fighter jet procurement efforts, most notably a more than decade long effort to purchase of more than a hundred new fighter jets, which is now effectively in its third incarnation. The Times of India was first to report on the possible acquisition of the MiG-29 hulks, which date to the late 1980s...

India and Pakistan both said they shot down each other’s fighter jets on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a 1971 war, prompting world powers to urge restraint. Both countries have ordered air strikes over the last two days, the first time in history that two nuclear-armed powers have done so, while ground forces have exchanged fire in more than a dozen locations.

Pakistan's civil aviation authority has confirmed the closure of its airspace, while its Indian counterpart has barred all flights from eight northern airports, amid clashes between the nations' forces in the disputed Kashmir region. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a NOTAM barring flights in and out of Amritsar, Jammu, Kangra, Kullu Manali, Kushok Bakula, Pathankot, Rimpochee, Shimla and Srinajar "due to operational reasons", shortly before 11:30 local time. IndiGo, Vistara and SpiceJet have confirmed suspensions of flights to the affected airports. In IndiGo's case, Chandigarh and Dehradun join Amritsar, Jammu and Srinajar among the airports from which flights...

India's foreign ministry has confirmed that one of its air force's Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters has been shot down amid escalating tensions with its neighbour, Pakistan. In a televised statement, a foreign ministry official said Pakistan had launched an incursion into Indian airspace "targeting military installations" in the disputed region of Kashmir on 27 February. "But due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully. The Pakistan air force was detected and the Indian air force responded immediately." During the aerial engagement that followed, one aircraft from each side was shot down, the official says. "The...

News agency ANI quoting Indian Air Force sources claimed Mirage 2000 fighters of the Indian Air Force struck and destroyed a “major terrorist camp” across the Line of Control early on Tuesday. The report comes hours after Pakistan claimed Indian Air Force jets had crossed the Line of Control, following which Pakistani fighters were scrambled. The air strike mark a major escalation in tension with Pakistan, which has been high since the suicide bomb attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14 left over 40 jawans dead. ANI, quoting IAF sources, said the attack occurred around 03.30am on...

Pakistan is building a security barrier along its north-western border with Afghanistan.A third of the 2,600-kilometre fence has already been completed. Pakistan says it has also installed surveillance technology aimed at monitoring cross border movement and thwarting future attacks from Afghanistan.

'Terrorism a common concern; Riyadh ready to share intelligence with New Delhi': MBS in India Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in a joint statement issued during his day-long visit to India on Wednesday described terrorism and extremism as a common concern and said that Riyadh is ready to share intelligence with New Delhi to tackle these issues. Prince Mohammad arrived in Delhi on Tuesday night, a day after wrapping up a historical visit to Islamabad in which he signed $20 billion worth of agreements in the "first phase" of Saudi investment in Pakistan. His visit to Pakistan came days...

Mike Pompeo urges India, Pakistan to 'avoid escalation at any cost' US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has urged India and Pakistan to avoid further escalation "at any cost" and to "prioritise direct communication". In a statement issued by his office in Washington following India's Line of Control (LoC) violation, Secretary Pompeo said that he spoke with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj hours after Indian fighter jets intruded from the Muzaffarabad sector and scrambled back after dropping bombs. While civilian and military leaders in Pakistan termed the LoC breach "an act of aggression by...

Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has called for a meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) in the aftermath of India's pre-emptive, non-military air strikes at terror camps in Balakot in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This is the second high-level meeting that Imran has called for in the wake of the Indian Air Force's operation. On Tuesday, he had convened an emergency review meeting of top defence and foreign ministry officials. However, the meeting with the NCA stands out as the first significant reaction by Pakistan to India's air strikes as the NCA oversees not only Pakistan's strategic components but...

<p>India’s fighter jets destroyed a major terrorist camp in Pakistan early Tuesday “in the face of imminent danger,” Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in New Delhi. More than 300 people were killed in the air strikes on militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, according to an Indian official speaking on condition of anonymity.</p>

National Review's Kevin Williamson wrote on the subject today. Pakistan is not an ally. They've been rolling us for decades. India is superior militarily and they sided with the Soviets during the Cold War. China is the wild card. Throw in nukes and you have a serious problem on the 'other side' of the world. India may soon have the ability to take on China but two of them? Dzo the muslims in Pakistan really cared for the Bhuddists in China? Then there's nuclear fallout: Would the rest of the world be endangered if they went all out? I don't...

Iran's parliament speaker has said that an attack that killed 27 members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was "planned and carried out from inside Pakistan.” In the remarks carried by the state-run IRNA news agency on February 17, Ali Larijani said that Pakistan should answer for its involvement in the attack. The comments come as Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani ambassador on February 17 to protest the assault, one of the deadliest attacks on Iranian security forces in years. Islamabad condemned the bombing but has not commented on Tehran’s allegations. The IRGC says a suicide bomber...

Iran has summoned the Pakistani ambassador to protest about a suicide bombing that killed 27 of its elite Revolutionary Guards near the border earlier this week, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday. The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack on Wednesday. Iran says militant groups operate from safe havens in Pakistan and have repeatedly called on the neighbouring country to crack down on them.

Pakistan says it shot down two Indian air force jets in its airspace and arrested one pilot on the ground.....

Delenda Carthago Est, Cato the Elder used to urge the Roman Senate. "Carthage must be destroyed." In 146BC, the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus razed Carthage to the ground and sold its entire population into slavery. Carthaginians were never again to trouble Rome again. The hour has come for India to echo Cato the Elder's clarity. Pakistan must be destroyed. India's post-partition relations with Pakistan should have been as benign as they are with Iran, Afghanistan, and later Bangladesh, but they are not. Pakistan has waged war on India and driven devastating murderous religious wars in India continuously ever since it...

Pakistan claims "strikes across Line of Control from within Pak airspace", says "purpose to demonstrate right to self-defence" This is a breaking news story. Details will be added soon. Please refresh the page for latest version.

It is being reported 2 Indian jets were shot down. One fell into Pakistani territory #pakistan #india #loc

Anticipating a Pakistani retaliation to the Balakot bombin .. Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/68176466.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force carried out strikes on a terror camp across the Line of Control in the early hours today, according to reports. The strike was carried out at around 3:30 am, according to reports. 12 Mirage 2000 jets dropped 1,000 kg bombs on the terror camp, completely destroying it, news agency ANI reported, quoting Air Force sources.

Pakistan has warned it will retaliate if India takes military action against it after a militant attack on Indian forces in Indian-administered Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan went on television to call on India to provide evidence to support its claims that Pakistan was involved. India responded that Mr Khan was again making excuses. More than 40 members of India's security forces died in Thursday's suicide bombing on their convoy. Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad said it was behind it. The attack has raised tensions between India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars and a limited conflict in the region...