As indo pak yensions escalate ,pakistan shuys down flight operation at all major airports

Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the latter on Wednesday closed down operations at all major airports in the country. News agency ANI reported that the government of Pakistan has ordered an immediate stopping of all domestic and international flight operations at airports in Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Sialkot.

Meanwhile, sources said international flights that were in transit between Indian and Pakistani airspace have also been affected by the escalation of tensions between the two countries. ANI reported that while some flights are returning to their origin airport, others appear to be seeking alternate routing.

India too has temporarily shut civilian flight operations at five airports in North India. Airports at Srinagar, Jammu and Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, Amritsar in Punjab and Dehradun in Uttarakhand have been closed for civilian air traffic.


In Srinagar, an Airports Authority of India official told PTI, "The civilian air traffic has been suspended temporarily in view of the emergency".

The airports were shut as an Mi-17 military chopper crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district earlier today. Amid Pakistan claims that its aircraft had dropped bombs in India, Indian Air Force jets shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 jet after it violated Indian airspace. The Pakistani jet fell in its territory.

On Tuesday, Indian Air Force had carried out air strikes at Balakot in Pakistan, targeting a terror training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group.