Islamabad, Mar 4 (IANS): Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, on Monday asked the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) personnel that they should keep their "guard up" as the challenges facing the nation "are not over yet", amid tensions with India.

The air chief made the remarks during a visit to the forward operating airbases of the PAF where he met the combat and ground crew, air defence and engineering personnel, security troops and civilian staff, Geo News reported.

"The challenges are not yet over and we should keep our guard up and always be ready to respond to any aggression from the enemy," he told the PAF personnel.

"We bow our heads in complete humility and express our gratitude to the Almighty for giving us strength to come up to the expectations of our resilient nation," the air chief said, referring to February 27 dogfight between Indian and Pakistani Air Force jets.

Following the aerial battle, Islamabad captured IAF's Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after his MiG-21 crashed inside Pakistani territory. The pilot was released by Pakistan as a "peace gesture" on March 1.