Pakistan said Wednesday that it downed two Indian fighter jets and captured a pilot, escalating hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistani territory for the first time in five decades.
The rapid turn of events raised fears that the historical animosities between India and Pakistan could be steering them toward another war.
Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan urged India to settle matters through talks, referring to the nuclear weapons both countries hold and the risk of further escalation.
“All big wars have been due to miscalculation. No one knew how the war would end,” he said in a televised speech. “My question to India is that given the weapons we have, can we afford miscalculation?”