Tensions between India and Pakistan have been running high following Indian air strikes which apparently targeted terrorist infrastructure on the Pakistani side of the border in Kashmir. Islamabad swiftly described this operation as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 has crashed outside the city of Bikaner, India, about 100 km from the Pakistani border, during a “routine mission,” the Indian military has confirmed.
The single-seater plane’s pilot is reported safe, having successfully ejected.
The IAF issued an official statement, which reads as follows: “[This] afternoon a MiG-21 aircraft on a routine mission crashed after getting airborne from Nal [Air Base] near Bikaner. Pilot of the aircraft ejected safely. A CoI will investigate the cause of the accident.”
The reason for the crash is yet to be established, although one defence official suggested it may have been the result of a bird strike.
Unconfirmed photos from the scene show what appear to be the plane’s remains, surrounded by onlookers and a fire brigade.
