IAF rejects Pak’s claim of flying fighter jet near Siachen Glacier

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday categorically ruled out any air space violation by Islamabad on the Indian side, as being reported by Pakistan media.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) claimed that fighter jets conducted flights near the Siachen Glacier.

Quoting sources, Samaa reported that all operating bases are now fully operational and the Mirage jets are now part of the drills.

Sohail Aman, Chief of Air Staff visited the Skardu forward base along with other top leadership of the Pakistan Air Force. Aman also met the pilots and technical staff of the fighting force and flew a Mirage jet himself on the occasion.

Pakistan’s claim comes in the wake of Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, the Chief of Air Staff, writting a personal letter to each officer in the IAF, asking them “to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice”.

“In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this,” says the letter.

The mention in the letter of “our present holdings” is an indication of the severe shortfall in the number of fighter squadrons with the IAF.

Quoting sources, the report said all of PAF’s forward operating bases have been made fully operational. Mirage jets of PAF are part of exercises since the forward base was made operational.

The Siachen glacier is the highest battleground on earth. It is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayan mountains where the LoC between India and Pakistan ends.