New Delhi, May 9 || Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, India has shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 as well as two JF-17 aircraft after Pakistan tried to attack multiple locations in Jammu and Punjab, government sources said.
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan made attempts to target several locations in India; however, Indian air defence guns shot down the intruding drones.
India also shot down Pakistan's Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) inside its Punjab province, sources said, adding that it fell on their side.
Meanwhile, drone attacks have also been foiled in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur and Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, and a drone was shot down in Akhnoor.
Two Kamikaze drones were also shot down in Poonch.
According to sources, the Indian SAM (Surface-to-air missile) shot down the F-16 fighter jet near the Sargodha air base.
Notably, F-16 is one of Pakistan's main fighter jets that it procured from the US. Along with it, the JF-17 is another crucial fighter aircraft. The F-16 fighter jets, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, were given to Pakistan in the late 1980s. These jets were also used by the Pakistan Air Force after India's Balakot air strikes in 2019.
Earlier, Pakistan also attempted a missile strike in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer region late on Thursday, prompting a swift response from India's air defence systems.
The air defence systems in the region have been fully activated to intercept and neutralise incoming threats. More than 70 missiles have been destroyed mid-air, preventing any damage to ground targets, sources said.