Sources said the IAF jets pounded terror camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti in the well-planned strike involving a fleet of IAF jets and other military jets.
Indian Air Force on Tuesday carried out pre-dawn air strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Pakistani side, 12 days after Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group carried out the dastardly Pulwama attack in Kashmir.
Government sources said the IAF jets pounded terror camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti in the well-planned strike involving a fleet of Mirage 2000s and other jets.
Hours later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security which was attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Sitharaman.
The development comes amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan after the February 14 suicide attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group that killed 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
#DNA में जरूर देखें- जैश को अड्डों को तबाह करने की पूरी कहानी@sudhirchaudhary pic.twitter.com/n2zDnOBrJz
— Zee News Hindi (@ZeeNewsHindi) February 26, 2019
#DNA में जरूर देखें- PoK में हमले के लिए Mirage 2000 को क्यों चुना गया ?@sudhirchaudhary#JoshIsHigh पर ट्वीट कर दें अपनी राय pic.twitter.com/hahaAJ6318
— Zee News Hindi (@ZeeNewsHindi) February 26, 2019
1. Operation
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IAF Sources: At 0330 hours on 26th February a group of Mirage 2000 Indian Fighter jets struck a major terrorist camp across the LoC and completely destroyed it. 1000 Kg bombs were dropped on terror camps across the LoC. 12 Mirage 2000 jets took part in the operation.
Sources said Pakistani F16s were scrambled to retaliate against IAF Mirage 2000s but turned back due to size of Indian formation. Western Air Command coordinated operation.
2. Timeline
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Balakot (24 KM NW of Muzaffarabad): 3:45-3:53 AM - Hit locations -Joint training camps of JeM, LeT & HM. They had emptied Launchpads but not training camps
Muzaffarabad: 3:48 AM- :55 AM
Chakoti: 3: 58 AM- 4:04 AM
3. Targets
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Terror launch pads in Balakot, Chakoti, Muzaffarabad and destroyed. Alpha-3 control rooms of Jaish-e--Mohammad Destroyed. Balakot is in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Alpha 3 is a fixed communication center of terror outfits in PoK. Once the terrorists are inside Indian territory, Alpha-3 guides, directs and controls their operations through a prefixed frequency on ICOM handsets. Whenever required Alpha-3 arranges tactical and material support through previously identified contacts.
Initial estimates suggest that 200-200 terrorists were killed in the operation, sources said.
Aksa camp near Muzaffarabad conducts 21 days Daura-e-Aam training course and Tabook Camp near Muzaffarabad conducts 30 days Daura-e-Khas training course for the LeT terrorists after clearing Daura-e-Aam.
These training camps are conducted in summer and begin in March end or April first week.
Sources said one of the targets destroyed by IAF Mirage jets was in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area. Air strikes in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region were based on locations provided by on ground intelligence sources:
4. Pak Army's corroboration
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In two tweets on Tuesday, Pakistan Army said that the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and dropped payload near Balakot in Pakistani territory.
"Indian Air Force violated Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow," the Spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, Major General Asif Ghafoor, tweeted early on Tuesday.
In another tweet, he added, "Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzaffarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage."
