India admits friendly fire downed chopper in J&K
The Indian Air Force confirmed for the first time yesterday that it shot down one of its own helicopters during clashes with Pakistan in February over Kashmir, killing all six on board. “A court of inquiry was completed and it was our mistake that our missile hit our chopper,” said the head of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Bhadauria. The military helicopter crashed on February 27 as Indian and Pakistani aircraft engaged in dogfights over Kashmir in their most serious military skirmish in years. A day earlier Indian aircraft had bombed what New Delhi called a “terror camp” used by the Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group in the Balakot area of Pakistan. That followed a suicide bombing on February 14 claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed that killed 40 Indian troops.
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