PM Modi meets service chiefs, NSA Ajit Doval after Pakistan captures Indian Air Force pilot

With a sharp spike in tensions between India and Pakistan following an airspace violation across LoC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met service chiefs and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval at his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi, to discuss the prevailing situation at the border areas in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting came hours after Pakistan on Wednesday intruded into Indian air space in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera and Poonch sectors of Rajouri district and captured one of its pilots.

The Centre, however, has expressed hope on "immediate and safe return" of the pilot and lodged a strong protest at what it called an "unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan", saying its jets targeted military installations in India.

"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 Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in its demarche.

MEA: 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. pic.twitter.com/DIZzN6DdZH

— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2019

Adding fuel to the already worse situation, fighter jets of both sides engaged in a direct battle, a day after the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s 12 Mirage 2000 aircraft supported by a fleet of Sukhoi 30 jets struck three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps in Balakot.

The pre-dawn airstrikes, being touted as the 'Surgical Strike 2.0', came 12 days after the gruesome attack by Pakistani-based terror group Jaish-e-Mahammed (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district left 42 CRPF personnel dead and dozens of others injured.