'We flew all missions in the first part of the war at low levels; that is at 300 to 500 feet above the ground.' 'These sorties were no doubt stressful since the pilots and crew had to look out for birds and obstructions as well as enemy gunfire.'
The frequent use of these assault rifles by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, according to experts, is a consequence of the US Army leaving behind arms and ammunition while pulling out from Afghanistan in 2021 and is a cause of concern due to the more lethal nature of the steel bullets used.
Five army personnel were killed and six injured on Monday when terrorists ambushed their vehicle in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials said.
'Due to the effective preparation and coordinated efforts by all the security agencies a group of terrorists were detected by the aerial surveillance platforms as soon as they entered the Air Force Station at Pathankot.'
For India, it is a symbol of will and a successful feat of arms.
A village head says that after the IAF pilot landed on Pakistani soil he attempted to destroy documents in his possession.
''I heard from the Pakistani brigadier that Flying Officer Pradeep Apte had been killed after he ejected safely and tried to escape. This news sent a chill up my spine. I had been lucky so far...'
'Will it lead to a full-scale war? I doubt it.' 'But I do think there will be some kind of limited conflict.'
Air Marshal S Varthaman (retd) and Dr Shobha Varthaman were given a standing ovation as passengers made way for them in the early hours of Friday, ensuring that the couple got off first.
Indians must remember that Pakistanis hate losing to India, at war or in cricket, says Sanjeev Nayyar.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said Pakistan is 'committing atrocities' against people in its occupied Kashmir and will have to bear its consequences.
Brigadier M P Bajwa (retd), commander of the troops that captured Tiger Hill, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih how a band of young soldiers won the Kargil War's most famous battle with their blood and grit.
The Indian troops guarding the nearly 3,500-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) maintained an assertive approach in sync with the broader national security doctrine and procured a variety of military platforms and weapons to enhance their combat capabilities.
'They asked me if I was a devout Muslim and if I could recite the Kalma.' Flying Officer Jawahar Lal Bhargava knew his game was up. 'They threatened me with dire consequences if I didn't tell the truth.'
The officials said the suspected drone returned to the Pakistani side when the border guards fired half a dozen rounds to bring it down.
It is learnt that the Aeronautical Development Agency, which oversees the development of Tejas, has put together a flying routine that 'significantly surpasses any aerobatics display the fighter has presented earlier'.
Pakistan-India bilateral relations remained frozen for the fourth year over the vexed Kashmir issue but analysts hope the strained ties could be repaired if Nawaz Sharif becomes the prime minister for a record fourth time in the general elections in February in the absence of his main challenger Imran Khan who is in jail in multiple cases.
The annual threat assessment of the US Intelligence Community released by the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) also said that the 'expanded military posture by both India and China along the disputed border elevates the risk of armed confrontation between two nuclear powers that might involve direct threats to US persons and interests and calls for US intervention'.
Soon after the incident, a senior BSF official said that an alert was issued and a search operation was conducted near Dera Baba Nanak (DBN) check post.
Perimeter security will be strengthened at army bases under six commands, the sources said.
Operation Meghdoot was launched on April 13, 1984, when the Indian Army and IAF advanced to the Siachen Glacier to secure the heights dominating the northern Ladakh region
While Pakistan enjoys rough parity with India in legacy weapon systems, it is beginning to enjoy superiority in drone warfare, thanks to the RPVs supplied by China, explains Ajai Shukla.
'The next war will be fought by China-Pakistan against India and we have to fully be prepared. We must read the writing on the wall.'
Kerala on Friday said a tearful goodbye to most of the 23 victims from the state who died in the Kuwait fire tragedy -- one of the biggest incidents to ever affect the state's expatriate community known for their dedication and hard work.
Everyone at the camp was sleeping and Pakistani defence establishment had no clue that the attack was coming so deep into their country.
Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst who was one of the key architects of US President Barack Obama's Af-Pak policy during his first term, has called for an offensive strategy against terrorist networks and this includes hitting out at terrorist groups inside Pakistan.
The IAF 'evidence' shows that the S-2000 laser-guided munition hit the intended targets causing significant 'internal damage', sources said.
"The Indian government approached asking us to open the airspace. We conveyed our concerns that first India must withdraw its fighter planes placed forward," Nusrat told the committee.
During the meeting, the prime minister is understood to have taken stock of the situation along the Line of Control and International Border.
Shiv Sainiks climbed atop the stage at an open air theatre and shouted slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Pakistan Murdabad' and disrupted the show for about 5-10 minutes.
They have also urged the Obama administration to review its decision in this regard.
According to the photos published by the Pakistani media, Swaraj and Qureshi were seen seated next to each other.
India failed to extract the 'price' from Pakistan for its Kargil misadventure.
The price could have been military in terms of loss of territory/soldiers/equipment or destruction of terrorist training infrastructure. Giving a 'face saving' option to Pakistan proved disastrous for the future, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Congress leaders targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party government for conferring the Padma Shri on singer Adnan Sami, saying that an Indian Army soldier Mohammad Sanaullah could not find his name in the National Register of Citizens in Assam, but the son of a Pakistan air force officer had been selected for the civilian award.
Singh said, "It is extremely shocking and tragic that the prime minister of this country is pointing fingers at opposition parties for questioning the Army or the Air Force.
In the Sensex kitty on Wednesday, Tata Motors emerged as the top loser falling 3.01 per cent, followed by Vedanta shedding 2.92 per cent. Other laggards include HUL, Kotak Bank, NTPC, Infosys, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance, Hero MotoCorp, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, HDFC, IndusInd Bank and PowerGrid, falling up to 1.77 per cent.
'The JF-17 is the aircraft of today and the Tejas is the aircraft of tomorrow.'
Family members praised the government, saying it was a revenge taken by the armed forces for the martyrdom of soldiers in the Pulwama terror attack.
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has been accused by a former air force chief of "ruining" a $ 1.2 billion deal for acquiring surveillance aircraft from Sweden's Saab firm for "possible kickbacks".
The IAF pilot revealed that he was not physically tortured by Pakistan military authorities.
