Indian pilot shot down over disputed Kashmir released by Pakistan amid flare in tensions

A pilot detained by Pakistani authorities after his plane was shot down over the disputed Kashmir region has been released.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been handed back to Indian authorities at the Pakistan-India border, a flashpoint of tensions in recent weeks.

Wing Commander Abhinandan's plane was shot down over a Pakistani-controlled area of the Kashmir region following a mid-air skirmish earlier this week.

Pakistan later aired a video of a man it identified as the Indian pilot.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said late on Wednesday that it "strongly objected to Pakistan’s vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force" after images of the pilot's capture were circulated.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was shot down earlier this week. Credit: Pakistan Armed Forces via AP

Read more: Why are India and Pakistan at loggerheads 72 years after partition?

  • Why have tensions soured between the two countries?

Tensions between the two nations have been heightened in recent weeks after a turbulent period of unrest.

The disputed region of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but is claimed in its entirety by both countries, leading to two wars over the territory.

The latest conflict arose on February 14 when a suicide bomber from Indian Kashmir attacked a paramilitary convoy on the Indian-controlled side of border, killing more than 40 troops.

The militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bombing opened old wounds, triggering a fresh round of conflict.

India then launched an airstrike on Pakistani territory early on Tuesday which New Delhi called a pre-emptive strike against militant camps in Pakistan. Islamabad denies such camps exist.

The pilot released on Friday by Pakistani authorities was shot down in a subsequent air exercise by Indian military, held on Wednesday.

Islamabad says the handover was a gesture of peace that could defuse tensions and avoid another war between the two nations.