Pak's attempted attack face saving exercise: Fmr Army chief

Pakistan's attempted attack on India's military installations was a mere "face saving exercise", former Army chief Gen V P Malik (Retd) said here Wednesday.

"The (attempted) attack by the Pakistan Air Force on Indian territory is just a face saving action taken by the government of that country," Malik told the media here.

"It's inadequacy was amply exposed during yesterday's air strikes by Indian Air Force on the terrorist camps when their forces were caught unaware," he added.

He said that the Pakistan government was left with no other choice but to retaliate even if the attack failed to achieve anything.

Earlier in the day, a Pakistani Air Force F-16 fighter jet was shot down by an Indian Air Force (IAF) MIG-21 jet in Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a press statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, accompanied by Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, said the Pakistani jet had on its target the country's military installations.

The attempted attack came a day after Indian fighter jets destroyed a terror camp in Balakot town of town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

"Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully," Kumar said.

He said the Pakistan Air Force activity was detected and the Indian Air Force responded instantly.

"In that aerial engagement, one Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft was shot down by a MiG 21 Bison of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistani aircraft was seen by ground forces falling from the sky on the Pakistan side," Kumar said.

The former army chief further warned that there was no doubt that terrorists were being trained in Pakistani camps and sent to India.

"We must be careful of those Pakistani paid terrorists living in India. Pakistan can use them to create disturbances in India," he said.