On the 27th of February, the head officers of the three armed forces met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and updated him about the current security scenario between Pakistan and India.
Ajit Devol, the National Security Advisor, the chiefs of the Indian Air Force (IAF,) the Indian Army and the Indian Navy Force (INF) met Narendra Modi at his residence.
The meeting was said to be the second meeting between the chiefs of the armed forces and PM Modi in 24 hours and lasted for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Speaking about the updates, the chiefs informed Modi about the aerial confrontation between India and Pakistan, during which, one aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and an IAF MiG 21 were shot down.
The chief also informed Modi of the claim made by the Pakistan Government stating, they have arrested Abhinandan Varthanam, the Wing Commander of the IAF. The IAF fighter jet, which was handled by Wg Cdr Varthanam, on the 27th of February, was captured by PAF, during an aerial encounter across the Line of Control (LoC.)
The Delhi Government said, in a demarche (a political initiative,) India lodged a strong protest against the aggression and the airstrikes of the Pakistan Government. India said, the IAF airstrikes were ‘non military and pre emptive,’ while those by the PAF were an ‘unprovoked act of aggression’ by Pakistan.
The Delhi Government, during the demarche, said, “India also strongly objected to Pakistan’s vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody.”
The hostility between India and Pakistan escalated after the IAF, on the 26th of February, launched airstrikes and attacked three camps where 300 terrorists, of the Jaish e Mohammed (JeM,) resided in Balakot.
The airstrikes were launched in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, which was planned and executed by the JeM, on the 14th of February.
