As tensions between India and Pakistan escalate, reports have emerged that two Pakistani pilots have been captured. The Pakistani Air Force men were reportedly captured from planes that were shot down in Jammu's Akhnoor and Rajasthan's Jaisalmer.
Neither Pakistan nor India has confirmed the reports. However, Tribune quoted a source that said that the pilot was captured after he ejected from the fighter jet, which crossed the Indian border.
If true, this will help India prove that Pakistani pilots breached the airspace. India has clarified that its fighters did not cross the border. Since both countries are technically not at war, the exchange of pilots will not be covered under the Geneva Convention, which lays down the treatment for prisoners of war (POWs).
The incident reminds India of the 2019 incident wherein Indian fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan.
Meanwhile, there are reports that India shot down Pakistan's Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft inside Pakistan's Punjab province. Besides, an F-16 fighter jet and two JF-17 fighter jets too were downed on Thursday night.
The AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) is used for long-range radar surveillance and command and control of air defence.
