IAF pilot Abhinandan shot down Pak F-16 before his MiG-21 Bison was hit

New Delhi: Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman downed a F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an R-73 air-to-air missile before his MiG-21 Bison was hit during a fierce dogfight on Wednesday, official sources said on Thursday.

Wing Commander Varthaman, son of a decorated IAF veteran, was captured by Pakistan after his jet went down following a strike by an enemy missile.Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the IAF pilot would be released Friday as a "gesture of peace".On Wednesday, Pakistan carried out a retaliatory aerial raid unsuccessfully targeting Indian defence facilities in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after India struck a terrorist training camp in Pakistan.

Wing Commander Varthaman downed a F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an R-73 air-to-air missile before his jet was hit by an enemy missile, the sources said.