Pakistani Premier Sharif says five Indian fighter jets shot down

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said his country’s air force shot down five Indian fighter jets in overnight clashes between the nuclear-armed rivals.

At least three French-manufactured Rafale jets were among the planes hit by Pakistani missiles fired from both the air and surface across the de facto frontier in the disputed region of Kashmir, Sharif said in an address to the parliament.

The clashes between the South Asian nuclear powers erupted overnight after India launched multiple missile strikes inside Pakistan to target hideouts of terrorist groups New Delhi blames for last month’s deadly attack in Kashmir.

At least 26 people were killed and nearly four dozen were wounded in Indian attacks on six locations, the Pakistani military said.

“Up to 80 Indian fighter jets were airborne during the attack, but Pakistani forces chased them away. Five were downed,” Sharif said as he praised the response for his country’s air force.

Sharif’s security Cabinet declared the Indian strikes as an act of war and authorized the military to retaliate earlier in the day, in a move that could the South Asian region to the brink of another war.

Sharif, however, did not say any word about any further escalation in his brief speech in parliament.