India conducted a major preemptive strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest camp early Tuesday to prevent suicide attacks being planned by the Pakistan-based terror group, killing a large number of terrorists and trainers, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said.
India conducted a major preemptive strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest camp early Tuesday to prevent suicide attacks being planned by the Pakistan-based terror group, killing a large number of terrorists and trainers, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said.
He said credible intelligence was received that the JeM was planning to carry out other suicide attacks in India after the Pulwama bombing on a CRPF convoy 12 days ago that killed 40 jawans.
"India conducted non-military pre-emptive strikes on the biggest JeM terror camp," Gokhale said. It was not clear if the strikes were on Balakote in PoK or Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
A large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and group of jehadis were eliminated in the operation, the foreign secretary told the media, hours after news broke out that IAF Mirage aircraft were deployed to unleash a wave of bombings on terror camps.
In the face of imminent danger, a preventive strike became "absolutely necessary", he said, adding that India is firmly committed towards taking all measures to fight terrorism.
India, Gokhale said, expects Pakistan to dismantle all terror camps, including those of the JeM.
12n. Further confirmation this was Balakot in Pakistan proper. This Pakistani handle forced to delete tweet at 7.24am that indicated location as abbotabad, then reposted the same at 8.01 without his location. Sustained effort at downplaying strike means SOMETHING HUGE happened pic.twitter.com/Vx1ZJ7Gzw5
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) February 26, 2019
Pakistan pretending that the payload was a consignment of ‘unexploding’ mangoes https://t.co/ryaAiC90Is
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) February 26, 2019
I think it has if the impending IAF presser isn't too embarrassing. Would be like the last surgical strike. Both sides having convinced their constituency.
— UJ (@MUJawed) February 26, 2019
Great job by the IAF. And great choice of words by govt "non-military preemptive action against terrorists (and not against Pak)". Makes it difficult for Pak to escalate. Josh and Hosh both on display. Very well done. #IndianAirForce #IndiaStrikesBack
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 26, 2019
Remember, the Mirage 2000 jets are also rigged for nuclear strikes. Imagine what the Pakistani air force would have gone through realizing they have broken through.
— Manu Pubby (@manupubby) February 26, 2019
But if Ghafoor bhai is saying we "forced them to dump their payload and turn back", then de-escalation does in fact become possible.. if we were not seriously hit, we don't have to seriously reply? (i hv no idea what is going on)
— omar ali (@omarali50) February 26, 2019
IAF was on such tight leash even in Kargil.
— Nihari (@NihariFan) February 26, 2019
No idea how this ends. Pak can't back down. De-escalation seems impossible.
Wtf man. Election year in India means war?
Tauba tauba. Exploding timatars.
— Arnab Ray (@greatbong) February 26, 2019
PM @ImranKhanPTI please uth jayen there's been an intrusion by #India
— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) February 26, 2019
The boys played well. @IAF_MCC https://t.co/5CqamULRWM
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) February 26, 2019
No tweet from this handle since bidding goodnight last night... https://t.co/auaH8cejDe
— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) February 26, 2019
Looks like this message was taken to heart by Pak air-defenseshttps://t.co/sVHMl6MRN7
— The UnReal Times (@TheUnRealTimes) February 26, 2019
"Aal izz well" watchman from 3 Idiots is running this page https://t.co/9EdqwRIIa8
— Azee (@Awaez7) February 26, 2019
This one will be filed under “tweets we wish we hadn’t put out but can’t delete now”. Don’t worry we all have them just not on this scale perhaps. https://t.co/1VUmwbeUsz
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 26, 2019
1. Pak tried to respond
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In relation to the Indian Air Force's (IAF) strike on terror launch pads across the LoC, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) responded by scrambling F-16s to intercept them, but abandoned their pursuit considering the large size of the Indian formation, sources said.
Sources also revealed that the operation was coordinated by the Western Air Command of the IAF.
2. Mirage 2000 jets used
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The terror camps at Balakot, Chakothi and Muzaffarabad were struck by 12 Mirage 2000 jets with 1000 kg of explosives at around 3:30 am on Tuesday.
The targets included the control rooms of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit that carried out a terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 in which 40 security personnel were killed and five injured.
3. 'Clouds of danger'
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Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a hurriedly summoned security meeting after the IAF operation, said that clouds of danger are hovering over Pakistan and that his country should not be worried over India's operation.
"I have already said that I don't want to mislead the public. Clouds of danger are hovering over us and we will have to remain alert," Samaa TV quoted Qureshi, as saying.
