India disputes the account, saying the strike was foiled and a Pakistani military plane was shot down.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called for talks with India and warned of miscalculations that could lead to war in a national television address Wednesday, hours after his nation’s air force claimed to have shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot.
The overture came amid two days of flaring tensions between the nuclear-armed nations that started Tuesday when the Indian air force made what was believed to be its first incursion over Pakistani territory in decades to bomb a militant training camp. India said the camp belonged to a terrorist group responsible for killing 40 Indian paramilitary troops in the disputed Kashmir region two weeks ago.
After promising to retaliate for the incursion, Pakistan said it downed two Indian military planes that crossed the so-called Line of Control, the de facto border in Kashmir, into Pakistani airspace Wednesday. One of the aircraft fell into Indian-controlled territory while the other crashed on the Pakistani side, where the pilot was captured. Purported video of the airman – bloodied, blindfolded and with his hands tied behind his back – has been shared online. Pakistan identified him as Wing Cmdr. Abhi Nandan.
“We waited and today we took action,” Khan said in a short address. “It was our plan to not cause any collateral damage and not to cause any casualties. We simply wanted to show our capability.”
India disputed Pakistan’s account of the confrontation. Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said Pakistan instigated the clash when its air force attacked Indian military installations.
