A Pakistani Air Force F-16 fighter jet was shot down by Indian air defence forces in Rajouri sector of Jammu region on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Pakistan has claimed its fighter jets entered the Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Nowshera sectors on Wednesday, a day after India undertook an early morning air strikes on Pakistan's Balakot on a major terror camp operated by the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Pakistan also claimed to have shot down two IAF aircraft and arrested one pilot.

Defence sources in New Delhi, quoting officials, however, said there were no reports of any IAF jet suffering damage in action by India’s adversaries.

As it happened: the Balakot air strikes

Here are the latest updates:

Pakistan releases footage of man who claims he’s an IAF officer

PTI reports: In a 46-second video released by the Pakistan Army, a blindfolded man claims that he’s IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan.

“I am an IAF officer. My service No is 27981,” the man says in the video. However, the veracity of the video could not be ascertained.

Pakistani military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor has claimed that two IAF pilots were arrested. One pilot is injured and has been shifted to a hospital, while another one is unhurt, the spokesman has added. He has said one of the aircraft crashed in Pakistan occupied Kashmir while the other fell in Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI, quoting official sources says, “Entire airspace north of north of Delhi vacated.”

Pakistani F-16 shot down

PTI, quoting officials, says a Pakistani Air Force F-16 fighter jet has been shot down in Jhangar area of Jammu.

Details were awaited.

Our correspondent Jagriti Chandra reports:

Civilian airspace and airports north of Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, totalling 14, have been closed after IAF instructions at 10.30 am, sources at the airport say.

Pakistan has also closed its airspace for all airlines, say sources.

International flights exiting Indian airspace north of Mumbai are being re-routed through Middle-East.

Following are the airports that have been shut:

Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu, Ludhiana, Adampur,Bhatinda,Pathankot, Chandigarh, Amritsar,Dehradun, Pantnagar.

Rajnath reviews security situation

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asks the Directors General of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to be on high alert, reports Vijaita Singh.

Mr. Singh will be heading to Bilaspur in a short while.

Earlier, he chairs a meeting where NSA Ajit Doval and IB chief were present. He reviews the security situation, especially along the border with Pakistan, officials say.

A detailed presentation was made about the security situation in the country and steps taken to ensure peace in all sensitive areas.

Airports closed for civilian flights

Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh and Amritsar airports are among the five airports closed on Wednesday for civilian air traffic, PTI reports, quoting airline officials.

In Srinagar, an official of the Airports Authority of India tells PTI, “The civilian air traffic has been suspended temporarily in view of the emergency“.

At the Delhi airport, flights to Jammu are showing delayed as the Srinagar airspace has been closed temporarily, reports Sandeep Phukan.

Pakistan PM calls meeting of top decision making body on nuclear issues

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called a meeting of the top decision making body on nuclear issues, reports PTI.

The National Command Authority controls policy formulation, exercises, deployment, research and development, employment and operational command and control of the country’s nuclear arsenal.

The decision to call the NCA meeting was taken on Tuesday in the meeting of National Security Committee - a civil-military top level body that discussed the situation after the Balakot air strikes by the IAF.

Two IAF aircraft shot down, one pilot arrested, claims Pakistan

Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces claims the Pakistan Air Force has shot down two Indian aircraft and one pilot has been arrested. “In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area,” he tweets.

Pak. statement

Following is a statement issued by Pakistan after its warplanes allegedly entered the Indian airspace:

''Today, Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace. This was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence. Pakistan has therefore, taken strikes at non military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Sole purpose being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence.

''We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we undertook the action with clear warning and in broad daylight.

''For the last few years, India has been trying to establish what they call “a new normal” a thinly veiled term for doing acts of aggression at whatever pretext they wish on a given day. If India is striking at so called terrorist backers without a shred of evidence, we also retain reciprocal rights to retaliate against elements that enjoy Indian patronage while carrying out acts of terror in Pakistan. We do not wish to go to that route and wish that India gives peace a chance and to resolve issues like a mature democratic nation.''

Pakistan planes 'enter' Indian airspace

Pakistani fighter jets on Wednesday allegedly violated the Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Nowshera sectors but were pushed back by Indian aircraft, reports PTI, quoting senior officials.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage.

“The jets entered Indian airspace over Nowshera and Poonch sectors this morning,” the officials said.

They were immediately pushed back by Indian jets on patrol.

IAF 'jet' crashes in Budgam

Our correspondent Peerzada Ashiq reports:

Two persons were killed as an IAF ''jet'' crashed in central Kashmir's Budgam on Wednesday morning. "Two bodies have been found so far. The IAF team will investigate the crash site and provide more details," said Superintendent of Police, Nagpure Amod Ashok.

According to the police, the crash occurred at Garend Kalan in an open field, just seven km away from the Budgam town, around 10:40 a.m. Budgam is adjacent to Srinagar. "We heard two loud sounds," said locals. 

Sushma briefs China on Balakot air strikes

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj blames Pakistan’s inaction against the JeM, which is responsible for the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019 — for triggering the strikes by the IAF across the Line of Control, and reiterates that New Delhi is averse to any escalation of tensions with Islamabad.

“In the light of continued refusal of Pakistan to acknowledge and act against terror groups on its territory and based on credible information that JeM is planning other attacks in various parts of India, the Government of India has decided to take pre-emptive action. The target was selected in order to avoid civilian casualties,” Ms. Swaraj says at the plenary foreign ministerial meeting of the Russia-India-China grouping.

U.S. urges Pakistan to take ‘meaningful action’

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that he has spoken to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the topic of taking “meaningful action” against terrorist groups operating on Pakistan soil, following the air strikes by India inside Pakistan.

“I spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil,” says Mr. Pompeo in a statment.