India, Pakistan suspend flight operations as tensions escalate

Hours after Pakistani Air Force shot down two Indian aircrafts in Pakistan on Wednesday, both the countries have suspended flight operations in few of major airports/

Indian jets again violated the Pakistani air space and crossed the Line of Control to enter Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, after which PAF shot down both the aircrafts, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor confirmed. One the jets fell in Indian occupied Kashmir and the other in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

India has shut down airports at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh, close to the border of India-Pakistan for indefinite period, as commercial flights have been put on hold, Indian media reported. Srinagar, Jammu and Leh airports were among five airports closed on Wednesday for civilian air traffic shortly after two Indian jets were shot down by Pakistan Air Force.

Airports at Chandigarh and Amritsar were also closed. The move to close the five airports comes amid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan too has suspended flight operations in major airports of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.  According to Lahore airport manager, all incoming and outgoing local and international flights have been suspended until further orders. "A flight from Guangzhou, China has been sent back," the official said.

According to local media report, a passenger air plane was stopped from taking off from Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar on the orders of Civil Aviation Authority.