Pak scrambled combat jet after Indian chopper strayed: Report

Islamabad: A report in a Pakistani paper says the military scrambled a combat jet after an Indian Army helicopter strayed into Pakistani airspace yesterday. The Dawn newspaper also says that the Indian crew was warned that the aircraft would be fired at if it tried to escape.

Pakistani authorities forced the Indian helicopter with a four-member crew to land after it flew across the Line of Control near Skardu yesterday.

The helicopter and crew were allowed to leave several hours later after the Directors General of Military Operations of the two sides established contact.

The Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying that a Pakistan Air Force plane was "scrambled immediately after spotting the helicopter and at the same time the Air Defence, through its communication system, warned those on board that they would come under fire if they tried to escape".

Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas had not provided details of how the helicopter was forced to land on the Pakistani side.

Once the Directors General of Military Operations established contact, the Indian side said it had violated the airspace by mistake.