Srinagar, Jammu and Leh airports were among a few airports closed on Wednesday for civilian air traffic shortly after an IAF jet crashed in Kashmir’s Budgam district, officials said.

The move to close the five airports comes amid an escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after IAF carried out strikes on terror bases in Pakistan.

Airports at Chandigarh and Amritsar were among those closed, according to airline officials.

In Srinagar, an official of the Airports Authority of India told PTI, “The civilian air traffic has been suspended temporarily in view of the emergency”.

While the official did not specify the nature of the emergency, it is believed the step was taken in view of an IAF jet crashing in Budgam district this morning.

Officials said they received instructions from air traffic controllers that the airports have been shut for civilian flights.

Some of the flights en route to Jammu, Leh and Srinagar airports have been diverted to their origin stations, they added.

Flight operations at Dehradun airport have also been temporarily suspended. Jaisalmer airport has also been closed for civilian use and all flights have been cancelled.

The flare-up in the cross-LoC shelling, which was initiated by Pakistani troops in early hours of Wednesday, has also resulted in security forces and other establishments being put on a heightened alert.

An IAF aircraft crashed on Wednesday in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing two people, officials said.

Officials in Srinagar described the downed aircraft as a jet, which crashed in an open field near Garend Kalaan village in Budgam at 10.05 am.  Other officials in New Delhi said it was a Mi-17 helicopter.

The conflicting reports could not be immediately reconciled.

The Srinagar officials said the aircraft broke into two and caught fire immediately.

The identity of the two deceased could not be confirmed immediately, they said.

Following the crash, Pakistan claimed that it has shot down two Indian aircraft “inside Pakistani airspace” and that the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control in response to Pakistan Air Force strikes in the morning.

Major General Asif Ghafoor according to reports claimed that one of the aircraft fell in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and that the other fell in Jammu and Kashmir. He also claimed that one Indian pilot was taken into custody by troops on the ground.

“In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down 2 Indian aircraft inside Pak airspace. 1 aircraft fell inside AJ&K, other fell inside IOK. 1 Indian pilot arrested by troops on the ground, 2 in area (sic),” DG ISPR, Pakistan Army, Ghafoor said.

PTI quoting Defence sources said that there were no reports of any IAF jet suffering damage in action by adversaries.

Soon after, Pakistan stopped its domestic and international flight operations from Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Islamabad airports.

News agency ANI, quoting sources, said that international flights that transit between Indian and Pakistani airspace have been affected. Some of the flights were returning to their origin, while others appeared to be seeking alternate routing.

Earlier in the day, three Pakistan Air Force jets violated the Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri sector and dropped bombs near the Indian Army post. However, they were immediately pushed back by Indian jets on air patrol.

Read | Day after IAF strike, Pakistan violates Indian airspace in J-K, cites right to self-defence

Pakistan has claimed the “strikes across Line of Control from within Pak airspace”, saying its “purpose was to demonstrate the right to self-defence”.

Following this, Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, RAW chief, and other top government officials.

The Indian Air Force has upgraded the security alert to the highest level. It has put all fighter bases on the high alert.

The escalation in tension between the two countries comes in the wake of India bombing the JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a “very large number” of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.

In a 21-minute offensive, 12 Mirage 2000 jets carried out the strike at around 3.30 am and dropped 1000 Kg bombs on terror camps, completely destroying it.

Over 300 terrorists were reportedly killed in the assault.