In what could have turned into a confrontation, the Pakistan Air Force scrambled its fighter aircraft after two Indian jets flew close to the border in Punjab, violating norms that the two sides have in place to prevent incidents of air space violation.

While Pakistan claimed the two Indian jets  identified by sources as MiG 21 fighters  entered 4 km of its airspace and stayed there for almost two minutes, India said a "technical violation" took place as the aircraft crossed the 10 km 'no fly zone' for military planes along the border.

The incident prompted a strong reaction, with the Pakistan Foreign Ministry saying that it has "conveyed serious concern to the Indian High Commission over the airspace violation by two Indian high speed (fighter) aircraft that had intruded 4 kilometres into the Head Sulemanki area at 1040 hours this morning".

Pakistan said it considered the air space violation as a contravention of the 1991 agreement that restricted military flying of armed aircraft to 10 km of the border in most areas and 5 km in specific areas covered by four airbases each.

The strong Pakistan reaction has most likely been prompted as it claims that the violation took place over the Sulemanki headworks on Sutlej river that are of major military significance.

India, however, stoutly denied that its aircraft crossed the border with the IAF saying that it informed Pakistan of the violation after its fighter entered the restricted airspace. "IAF aircraft which were on a routine flying training sortie seem to have flown close to the border and it appears to be a technical violation. The same has also been conveyed to the Pakistan authorities," the air force spokesperson said.

Sources elaborated that the two MiG 21 fighters that were on a training mission did inadvertently violate the 10 km limit but stayed within Indian territory before turning back. At no point, the IAF said, did the jets cross the border as claimed by Pakistan.

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