Balakot IAF strike: An Italian journalist on Wednesday claimed that up to 170 terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group were killed in a pre-dawn air raid carried out by the Indian Air Force’s frontline Mirage 2000 fighter jets in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26, 2019. The sensational revelations made by the foreign journalist has come after the United Nations designated Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist on May 1, 2019.
Reports said that 11 terrorist trainers were among slain in the pre-dawn IAF action among which two belonged to Afghanistan. The slain terrorists were given a job of bomb-making.
After the successful strikes, Pakistan ensured that news about the IAF operation should not be leaked to the press. Reports claim that Jaish members visited the slain terrorists’ families and provided them with compensation.
Now the Pakistan Army has taken over the Jem camps and removed all the evidence about the presence of terrorists. Reports said that local police has also been kept away from the bombed location.
Earlier, international media had claimed that not even a single terrorist was killed in the IAF operation. The Opposition parties in the country had expressed similar views and raised questions over the air operation.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said that said it was unfathomable to see international media not willing to believe India’s explanation on Balakot.
After few hours of the IAF raid on March 26, Pakistan’s Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations chief spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said that IAF dropped bombs in haste and no person was killed. However, the recent report of Italian journalist has debunked Pakistan’s version.
The IAF had resorted to the air raid on terror camps after at least 44 CRPF personnel were killed in Pulmawa suicide bombing on February 14. The attack was claimed by the JeM after its bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle in the CRPF convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
