New Delhi, February 26: Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck at a terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Pakistan on Tuesday morning. Tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has been high following the Pulwama terror attack. Heavy exchange of fire also started across the 749 km-long Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The IAF mission started off at 3 am. A group of fighter jets — that had the back-up of a mid-air refueller, air-borne radars and more fighter jets on standby for a second strike — hit a terror camp and destroyed it. Multiple 1,000-kg precision bombs were used in the attack.
However, Pakistan on Tuesday morning claimed that IAF jets intruded across the LoC and dropped a ‘payload’ – military euphuism for warhead or bomb – but it did not cause any loss to life or damage.
Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Director General of the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan armed forces, tweeted at 5.12 am saying, “Indian Air Force violated Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow”.
At 7.05 am, the Pakistani spokesperson sent out another tweet saying, “Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzafarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage.”
Muzaffarbad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir lies north-west of Tangdhar in J&K while Balakot is further west, beyond PoK, and is technically in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
Meanwhile, both sides have been using their air-borne radars, and doing constant patrolling to keep an eye on various bases. Indian jets are also guarding the air space over the LoC.
On the ground, IAF bases at Ambala, Halwara, Bathinda, Sirsa, Adampur, Pathankot, Bikaner and Suratgarh are in ready mode. These bases have MiG-29, Jaguar and Sukhoi 30 MKi jets. As per protocol for such a scenario, these bases have certain number of planes in ‘runway readiness’
Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzafarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
Subsequently Gen Ghafoor tweeted to claim Indian bombs landed in the open:
Payload of hastily escaping Indian aircrafts fell in open. pic.twitter.com/8drYtNGMsm
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
India and Pakistan maintain a no-fly zone for fighter jets on either side of the LoC to ensure no accident occurs.
Following the terror attack in Pulwama in Kashmir, which left 41 CRPF jawans dead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the Indian armed forces were free to respond to the Pakistan-sponsored action in the manner and time of their choosing.
The developments coincide with Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj being in Wuzhen today for an RIC (Russia-India-China) meet.
Political reactions have started:
ये मोदी का हिंदुस्तान है, घर में घुसेगा भी और मारेगा भी,
Air Force carried out aerial strike early morning today at terror camps across the LoC and Completely destroyed it
एक एक क़तरा ख़ून का हिसाब होगा !ये तो एक शुरुआत है .. ये देश नहीं झुकने दूंगा…#Balakot #Surgicalstrike2 pic.twitter.com/fqYJgWxuqX— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) February 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1100245432901472257?s=19
