MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. Five Russian airlines had to reroute 33 flights because of tensions between India and Pakistan, Russian Deputy Transport Minister Alexander Yurchik told the Rossiya-1 TV channel.
"Today, five Russian airlines were expected to reroute 33 flights. As many as 29 of them have already departed, while four are scheduled for later," he said.
Pakistan earlier shut down its airspace amid escalating tensions with India.
Tensions along the Line of Contact flared up on February 14, when a suicide attacker rammed his car filled with explosives into an Indian paramilitary convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 45. The Jaish-e-Mohammed group, which aims at separating Kashmir from India and bringing it under Pakistan’s control, claimed responsibility for the attack.
New Delhi accused Islamabad of supporting terrorists who allegedly carry out raids on Indian territory from Pakistan-based camps. In addition, India claimed to have evidence proving that Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies could be behind the attack. In response, Islamabad rejected these accusations.
On February 26, India’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s Air Force had destroyed the largest militant camp belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammed group near the Pakistani town of Balakot. On Wednesday, the Pakistan Air Force responded by saying that it had carried out airstrikes on military targets in Jammu and Kashmir. The two countries also claimed to have downed each other’s fighter jets.