Non-military, pre-emptive action had become absolutelynecessary, says foreign secretary | PM chairs CCS meet, says won’t let countrydown
India struck a biggest camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed across theLine of Control early Tuesday in a major “non-military, preemptive” action,killing “a large number of militants and trainers of the Pakistan-based group”that was preparing to carry out suicide attacks in this country, a top officialsaid.
Giving details of the “intelligence led operation” at a newsconference here, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said credible intelligence wasreceived that the JeM was planning to carry out other suicide attacks in Indiaafter the Pulwama bombing on a CRPF convoy 12 days ago that killed 40personnel.
“In the face of imminent danger, a preemptive strike becameabsolutely necessary. In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours ofTuesday, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot,” Gokhalesaid.
“In this operation, a very large number of JeM militants,trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained forfidayeen action were eliminated,” he said.
Junior agriculture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat alsotweeted about the strike. “Air Force carried out aerial strike early morningtoday at terror camps across the LoC and completely destroyed it (sic),” hesaid.
It was not clear if the strikes were on Balakote inPakistan-administered Kashmir or Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince.
Gokhale also did not give details of how the attacks werecarried out or confirm earlier reports by sources that Mirage aircraft wereused to drop bombs in the operation.
Earlier in the day, the Indian government sources saidMirage 2000 combat jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) bombed militant camps atmultiple locations across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Pakistani side. Theysaid jets pounded the camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti.
Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Indiahas committed “aggression” by violating the Line of Control (LoC) and Islamabadhas “right to respond”.
The facility at Balakot, located in a thick forest on ahilltop far away from civilian presence, was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar,alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Gokhale said,reading out from a statement.
The statement did not say if Yousuf Azhar was among thosekilled.
Gokhale said India is firmly committed towards taking allmeasures to fight terrorism.
India, Gokhale said, expects Pakistan to “dismantle allterror camps, including those of the JeM”.
Hours after the strike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaireda meeting of cabinet committee on security (CCS) which was attended by financeminister Arun Jaitley, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, home ministerRajnath Singh and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The pre-emptive strikes were hailed by leaders of variouspolitical parties with the BJP asserting that Prime Minister Modi’s politicalwill has made the difference while Congress chief Rahul Gandhi lauded the IAFand saluted its pilots.
“Every Indian who had the pain and anguish of the martyrdomof our forces is greatly relieved and delighted this morning. Salute to the AirForce for a meticulous operation. Our forces are world class anyway. It is thepolitical will of our PM and team that made all the difference,” BJP generalsecretary Ram Madhav said.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the strikescarried out by the IAF on JeM camps is a “totally new ball game” as it was forthe first time that air power was used during peace time to hit militanttargets in the neighbouring country.
In Islamabad, Qureshi briefed Prime Minister Imran Khanafter an “emergency meeting” with high-level officials at the foreign office(FO) for consultations.
“First, they committed aggression against Pakistan today. Itis a violation of the LoC. I consider it a violation of the LoC, and Pakistanhis right to give a suitable response in self defence,” he told reporters.
Earlier, the Pakistan army alleged that the IAF violated theLoC in Muzafarabad.
“Indian aircraft intruded from Muzafarabad sector. Facingtimely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in hastewhile escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage,” major generalAsif Ghafoor, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), themedia wing of the Pakistan army, said in a tweet.
“Indian Air Force violated Line of Control Pakistan.Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircraft gone back,” hetweeted.
Hours after the strike, the Indian army tweeted a Hindi poemwhich says that “if you are docile and polite before the enemy, he may consideryou as a coward, the way Kauravas treated Pandavas”.
The poem by Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ was tweetedby additional director general, Public Information on its official handle.
Peace overtures, the poem says, are possible only when youare in a powerful position and capable to win.
INDIA IN SAFE HANDS: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday told the nation thatthe country is in safe hands and he will never let the country down.
Speaking publicly for the first time after New Delhi saidthe Indian Air Force (IAF) hit Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Pakistan,Modi was in an exuberant mood as he addressed a public rally in Rajasthan.
“Today is a historic day and I feel that a few lines of apoem which I recited in Vijay Shankh Yuva Sangam in 2014 should be repeated,”he said as the crowds kept cheering and waving at him.
“From the land of Churu, I repeat these lines while offeringmy prayers to Maa Bharati,” he said.
Looking at the excited faces in the crowd who were clearlyhappy that the JeM bases in Pakistan had been hit earlier in the day, Modiwondered why people were looking different today.
The crowd immediately started raising slogans of “Modi,Modi”.
The Prime Minister, who made no specific mention of Pakistanor JeM, asked the people to shout “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and the crowd did so.
Earlier, Modi started his address in Rajasthani dialect andsaid that today was a historic day and hence “we should all bow our heads tothe soldiers”.
“After 70 years of independence, we have dedicated anational war memorial to those who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Thismemorial is quite important for Rajasthan as this state has sacrificedthousands of their sons from Charu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu,” he said.
Attacking the opposition, Modi said: “Your one vote willgive a befitting reply to those dreaming of forming a weak government and willalso strengthen my government”.