Within minutes of the Sukhois getting airborne, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) responded by launching two F-16 fighters, said one of the officials cited above. The second official said neither the Indian fighters nor the Pakistani jets violated airspace restrictions and such occurrences were not new after the February 26 Balakot air strike. The development assumes significance against the backdrop of military tensions between India and Pakistan following the bombing of a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror base in Balakot by the IAF. More than a month after the Balakot strikes, the air force is still in its highest state of alert and prepared to scramble fighter jets from its forward bases within minutes, as reported by Hindustan Times on Saturday. Military tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following the Balakot strikes, with PAF fighters, including F-16s, making a failed attempt to bomb Indian military installations on February 27.

Source: Hindustan Times April 01, 2019 18:33 UTC