Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday confirmed that J-10C jets participated in Pakistan's response to Indian attacks, media reported, following wide speculations over if Pakistan's equipment procured from China have played roles in the clash that led to the downing of several Indian aircraft.
Speaking at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Dar stated that Pakistan had demonstrated restraint despite India's airstrikes and hostile actions, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
He revealed that Pakistan had received intelligence of a possible Indian attack at 10 pm on Tuesday, prompting defensive measures.
"There were instructions to only target Indian jets that released payloads," Dar said. "This is why only five jets were taken down. Had the directive been different, nearly 10-12 jets would have been struck."
India dismissed report of Pakistan downing jets as "disinformation," Reuters reported.
Following an Indian airstrike, Pakistan's Air Force shot down five Indian fighter jets, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. Dar stated that while four Indian jets initially attempted to breach Pakistani airspace, they were intercepted. Later, aircraft striking from within Indian territory were targeted in retaliation.
Dar noted that J-10C jets participated in Pakistan's response.
Dar's confirmation on the J-10C's involvement in the incident came after speculations arouse on Wednesday that Pakistan's equipment procured from China could have participated the India-Pakistan clash.
Shares of Chinese defense-manufacturing companies rallied on Wednesday, as the escalation in border tensions between India and Pakistan boosted the outlook for mainland exporters, Bloomberg reported.
Pakistan, which has imported a bulk of the defense equipment including J-10C fighter jets, claimed to have shot down five Indian planes, including a French Rafale jet. This led to speculation that Chinese defense platforms may have been deployed in the conflict, given Pakistan's recent heavy reliance on such arms imports, Bloomberg said.
Most modern domestically-developed Chinese platforms have not yet been battle-tested, said Eric Zhu, a defense analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "So having the combat record is a plus for their export potential."
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