New Delhi, February 26: Hours after the surgical air strikes by the Indian Air Force, the government on Tuesday announced that the targeted strike was aimed at Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp operated by Jaish operative Maulana Yusuf Azhar at Balakote.
Giving details about the air strikes, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhle said the preemptive strike was planned out following intelligence inputs that the Jaish-e-Mohammad was planning major suicide attacks across the country.
“In the early hours of Tuesday, the Indians struck at the biggest training camp being operated in Balakote. A strike was launched in which a large number of terrorists, senior commanders of the terror outfits were eliminated,’’ said Gokhle.
Gokhle claimed that the terror camp was operated by senior Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Maulana Yusuf Azhar, brother-in-law of Maulana Masood Azhar.
Gokhle said the Government of India was firm and resolute to foil any terror attack and hence the preemptive strike. “It was a targeted strike in which our air force strikers ensured that no damage was done to civilian population and only terror camp was struck,” said Gokhle.
