Pakistan returns Indian pilot in 'peace gesture'

A pilot shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani aircraft returned to India on Friday, after being freed in what Islamabad called a "peace gesture" following the biggest standoff between the two countries in years. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down on Wednesday over Kashmir -- divided between the nuclear-armed rivals since 1947 -- crossed into India at the famed Wagah crossing point, sporting a black eye from his ordeal. In New Delhi the announcement of the experienced pilot's release was seen as a diplomatic victory, but India warned that its military remained on "heightened" alert.