NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India said on Friday its downing of a Pakistani maritime aircraft was a prudent decision and accused its arch rival of violating an agreement on banning military flights close to the border. "Our air force acted with prudence after following standard operating procedures," a foreign ministry spokesman said. "IAF jets gave considerable opportunity to comply with internationally known signals to land, it did not comply and therefore had to be engaged," he said. Indian jet fighters shot down a Pakistani maritime aircraft on Tuesday after commanders said it had intruded 10 km (six miles) into Indian airspace off the western Indian state of Gujarat. Pakistan said the aircraft was within its airspace and said the shooting was a barbaric act. Both countries signed an agreement in 1991 pledging not to fly military planes closer than 10 km (six miles) of the border without advance notification. The United States has urged both countries to honour the military flights agreement and said both must exercise restraint. But Indian officials said it was Pakistan which had violated the agreement. "The violation of the 1991 agreement did take place and that violation was the intrusion," the spokesman said. He said there was no ambiguity about the border where the Pakistani aircraft flew. "It was

deep in Indian airspace when it was intercepted. Sixteen people on board the Pakistani plane died in the shooting.