Full scale hostilities broke on September 06, 1965, with F-104s tasked for air defence duties. It was on an early morning Combat Air Patrol (CAP) on this day that Flt Lt Aftab Alam claimed an IAF Mystere with an AIM-9B Sidewinder when he intercepted a formation of IAF aircraft attacking a passenger train near Rahwali. The first day of hostilities later saw two F-104s doing a visual recce over Adampur and Halwara airbases in India to verify presence of IAF aircraft as a prelude to PAF’s counter air strikes later in the day.