August 10, 1999

At 1115 hours this morning, a Pakistani Naval Anti-Submarine Warfare and maritime reconnaissance aircraft, called Atlantique intruded 10 Kms into Indian territory in the Area of KORI CREEK.

The intruding aircraft was detected by IAF ground radars and was intercepted 10 Kms south of the International Border. When the IAF fighters closed in to identify and signal the intruding Pakistani aircraft to force it to land at an Indian base, the Pakistani aircraft acted in a hostile manner by turning into our fighter. At that stage the Atlantique was shot down by an air-to-air missile from a MIG-21 of the IAF, which hit the aircraft on the port engine which caught fire.

The wreckage has been found by IAF helicopters, 2 Kms on the Indian side of the International Border.

Pakistani aircraft have been intruding into Indian airspace in the same sector in the past. From May to July there have been 8 such intrusions.