India on "heightened" alert despite Pakistan's offers to free captured pilot as "peace gesture"

INDIAN security forces remain on "heightened" alert despite Pakistan's promise to release a captured Indian pilot as a "peace gesture," top Indian military chiefs said today (28).

"We are fully prepared and in a heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation from Pakistan," said the Indian army's Major General Surendra Singh Mahal at a press conference.

He said ground-based air defence weapons had been "put on high alert" along the de facto border with Pakistan in Kashmir.

Pakistan today said it would release captured Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman as a sign of peace gesture. Varthaman has become the face of the crisis since he was shot down in a rare aerial engagement between India and Pakistan on Wednesday (27).

"As a peace gesture we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow," Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan told a joint session of parliament.

Khan also said Pakistan was ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism.

"Dialogue is the only way for peace and stability in the region," Khan said.

"I had made an offer to India to investigate the Pulwama attack and hold dialogue on bilateral issues.

"Pakistan is ready for talks with India on all issues including terrorism," Geo news quoted Khan as telling Cabinet members.

Khan's peace gesture comes after several countries, including the US and Russia, offered diplomatic assistance to de-escalate the confrontation between two countries.

US president Donald Trump said he expected "reasonably decent news" regarding the conflict and added that the US was trying to mediate.

"They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop," Trump said in Hanoi, where he was attending a summit with North Korea's leader.

"We have been in the middle trying to help them both out."

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov also offered to facilitate talks between the two sides.

Tension between the two nations escalated yesterday (27) following tit-for-tat airstrikes in the wake of a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir on February 14.

Both countries downed enemy jets on Wednesday.

Pakistan said it had downed two Indian fighters, while India confirmed it had lost one plane and claimed it had shot down a Pakistani jet.

Indian and Pakistani troops traded fire along the contested border in Kashmir on at least three occasions today.

India's prime minister Narendra Modi, who faces a general election in a matter of months, earlier today told a rally of supporters that India would unite against its enemies.

"In the face of their objective, every Indian should stand as a wall, as a rock," Modi said.

"The entire country is one today and standing with our soldiers. The world is looking at our collective will and we have faith in our forces' capacity.

"India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one."

(AFP, Reuters)