Pakistan releases captured Indian fighter pilot

Pakistan has released an Indian pilot captured after his plane was shot down by the Pakistani military this week amid a dramatic confrontation between the two nuclear-armed rivals over the disputed Kashmir region.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was handed over to Indian officials near a border crossing with Pakistan late on Friday.

On the Indian side of the border, Indian officials greeted the pilot who was in a dark blue suit, accompanied by a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Tensions between the two neighbours have been running high since Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday carrying out what India called a pre-emptive strike against militants. India alleges that the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group was behind a Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops.

Pakistan retaliated to the Indian strike by shooting down two Indian aircraft Wednesday and capturing the pilot identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Islamabad has said that the handover was "peace gesture" to defuse tensions and avoid another war between the two countries.

Prior to the pilots release, however, blistering cross-border attacks across the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir however continued for a fourth straight day.