Pakistan says Indian warplanes violated airspace

Islamabad: Pakistani air force jets scrambled on Saturday to turn back Indian warplanes that had entered Pakistan's airspace, the Islamabad government said.

Pakistan's information minister said there was no need for alarm and that India had explained the violation was inadvertent.

However, the Indian Air Force denied its planes intruded into Pakistan's airspace on Saturday amid a rise in tensions between the South Asian neighbours.

“There has not been any airspace violation as has been alleged,'' Indian Air Force spokesman Mahesh Upasani said in a phone interview to Bloomberg in New Delhi on Sunday.

The violations occurred at a time of heightened tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours following an attack on Mumbai two weeks ago that the Indian government has blamed on militants based in Pakistan.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman said, "We have confirmed it. We have spoken to the Indian airforce and they have said it was inadvertent."

A Pakistani airforce spokesman said one violation took place in the Kashmir sector and one in the Lahore sector.