FILE PHOTO: Indian Air Force’s plane takes flight during military drills on February 16, 2019. © Amit Dave / Reuters
On February 26, Indian Air Force carried out an airstrike on a “terror camp” located across the Line of Control (LoC) separating the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region and completely destroyed the facility, Indian Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.
“Air Force carried out aerial strike early morning today at terror camps across the LoC and Completely destroyed it,” Shekhawat stressed.
In a further comment, the Indian Foreign Ministry claimed that the airstrike was carried out due to Pakistan’s inability to take measures to destroy terrorist infrastructure.
“India has been repeatedly urging Pakistan to take action against the JeM to prevent jihadis from being trained and armed inside Pakistan,” the foreign ministry said. “Credible intelligence was received that JeM was attempting another suicide terror attack in various parts of the country, and the fidayeen jihadis were being trained for this purpose. In the face of imminent danger, a preemptive strike became absolutely necessary.”
The Pakistani Armed Forces satted that the Indian airstrike did not result in any casualties or damage. Pakistani military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said that the Indian jets had been chased away by Pakistani interceptors. According to him the strike took place near Balakot, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is located about 50km from the LOC in the region of Kashmir.
Indian aircrafts’ intrusion across LOC in Muzafarabad Sector within AJ&K was 3-4 miles.Under forced hasty withdrawal aircrafts released payload which had free fall in open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties. Technical details and other important information to follow.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
Payload of hastily escaping Indian aircrafts fell in open. pic.twitter.com/8drYtNGMsm
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) 26 February 2019
The Pakistani foreign minister said his country is prepared to respond to any hostile actions by India. The prime minister has called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the incident.
The situation is developing.
