Indian Army

Asif said India's rhetoric was ramping up and that Pakistan's military had briefed the government on the possibility of an Indian attack.

The missiles successfully intercepted their targets, achieving direct hits and neutralizing the threats, demonstrating the system's operational capability.

Violence erupted during a protest march on Tuesday by thousands of tribal people opposing a demand by a non-tribal group for the constitutionally defined status of an official tribe.

Scuffle in northeastern Indian state of Arunachal on Dec. 9 • India says Chinese troops prevented from entering Indian land

The Himalayan region has been disputed by India and neighboring Pakistan since the end of colonial rule in 1947, with both countries claiming it in full but ruling it in part.

The plan has also received criticism from some defense experts, who say it could weaken the structure of the forces and have serious ramifications for national security.

Group Captain Varun Singh was among the 14 people traveling in the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter that burst into flames.

The deaths of Indian defense chief Gen. Bipin Rawat and his wife were confirmed in a tweet by the Indian Air Force.

Locals in Nagaland have frequently accused forces of wrongly targeting innocent locals in their counterinsurgency operations against rebel groups.

Both sides have observed a long-held protocol to avoid using firearms on the sensitive, high altitude frontier running through the western Himalayas, though this has not prevented casualties.