Indian soldiers stand next to the wreckage of Indian Air Force’s helicopter after it crashed in Budgam district in Kashmir, February 27, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Danish Ismail.

CTech – On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force had crossed the de facto border between the Indian and Pakistani-held areas of Kashmir for the first time since 1971. The IAF fired multiple missiles utilizing Israeli-made Spice-2000 guidance kits, Indian news outlet The Print reported the same day.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have been on the rise since a suicide bombing on February 14 hit an Indian paramilitary convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 Indian soldiers. Jaish-e-Mohammed, a group that is classified as a terrorist group by the United Nations, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted his support for settling the uptick in conflict through diplomatic means.

Manufactured by Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Spice-2000 kits turn air-droppable unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons.

Rafael declined Calcalist’s request for comment.

India accounted for 49 percent of Israeli arms export between 2013 and 2017, making Israel the third-largest supplier to India, according to a 2017 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In 2017 alone, $2 billion worth of missile system deals were signed between state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries and India, making up nearly 22 percent of Israel’s overall $9.2 billion in arms exports sales that year.