India strikes across LoC
Non-military,pre-emptive action had become absolutely necessary, says foreign secretary | PMchairs CCS meet, says won’t let country down
India struck abiggest camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed across the Line of Control early Tuesday in amajor “non-military, preemptive” action, killing “a large number of militantsand trainers of the Pakistan-based group” that was preparing to carry outsuicide attacks in this country, a top official said.
Giving details of the”intelligence led operation” at a news conference here, foreign secretary VijayGokhale said credible intelligence was received that the JeM was planning tocarry out other suicide attacks in India after the Pulwama bombing on a CRPFconvoy 12 days ago that killed 40 personnel.
“In the face of imminent danger, a preemptive strike became absolutelynecessary. In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of Tuesday,India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot,” Gokhale said.
“In this operation, a verylarge number of JeM militants, trainers, senior commanders and groups ofjihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated,” he said.
Junior agriculture ministerGajendra Singh Shekhawat also tweeted about the strike. “Air Force carried outaerial strike early morning today at terror camps across the LoC and completelydestroyed it (sic),” he said.
It was not clear if thestrikes were on Balakote in Pakistan-administered Kashmir or Balakot inPakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Gokhale also did not givedetails of how the attacks were carried out or confirm earlier reports bysources that Mirage aircraft were used to drop bombs in the operation.
Earlier in the day, the Indiangovernment sources said Mirage 2000 combat jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF)bombed militant camps at multiple locations across the Line of Control (LoC) inthe Pakistani side. They said jets pounded the camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabadand Chakoti.
Pakistan foreign minister ShahMahmood Qureshi said India has committed “aggression” by violating the Line ofControl (LoC) and Islamabad has “right to respond”.
The facility at Balakot,located in a thick forest on a hilltop far away from civilian presence, washeaded by Maulana Yousuf Azhar, alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of JeMchief Masood Azhar, Gokhale said, reading out from a statement.
The statement did not say ifYousuf Azhar was among those killed.
Gokhale said India is firmlycommitted towards taking all measures to fight terrorism.
India, Gokhale said, expectsPakistan to “dismantle all terror camps, including those of the JeM”.
Hours after the strike, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of cabinet committee on security (CCS)which was attended by finance minister Arun Jaitley, external affairs ministerSushma Swaraj, home minister Rajnath Singh and defence minister NirmalaSitharaman.
The pre-emptive strikes werehailed by leaders of various political parties with the BJP asserting thatPrime Minister Modi’s political will has made the difference while Congresschief Rahul Gandhi lauded the IAF and saluted its pilots.
“Every Indian who had the painand anguish of the martyrdom of our forces is greatly relieved and delightedthis morning. Salute to the Air Force for a meticulous operation. Our forcesare world class anyway. It is the political will of our PM and team that madeall the difference,” BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said.
National Conference leaderOmar Abdullah said the strikes carried out by the IAF on JeM camps is a”totally new ball game” as it was for the first time that air power was usedduring peace time to hit militant targets in the neighbouring country.
In Islamabad, Qureshi briefedPrime Minister Imran Khan after an “emergency meeting” with high-levelofficials at the foreign office (FO) for consultations.
“First, they committedaggression against Pakistan today. It is a violation of the LoC. I consider ita violation of the LoC, and Pakistan his right to give a suitable response inself defence,” he told reporters.
Earlier, the Pakistan armyalleged that the IAF violated the LoC in Muzafarabad.
“Indian aircraft intruded fromMuzafarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan AirForce released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. Nocasualties or damage,” major general Asif Ghafoor, director general ofInter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army,said in a tweet.
“Indian Air Force violatedLine of Control Pakistan. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indianaircraft gone back,” he tweeted.
Hours after the strike, theIndian army tweeted a Hindi poem which says that “if you are docile and politebefore the enemy, he may consider you as a coward, the way Kauravas treatedPandavas”.
The poem by Hindi poetRamdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ was tweeted by additional director general, PublicInformation on its official handle.
Peace overtures, the poemsays, are possible only when you are in a powerful position and capable to win.
INDIA IN SAFE HANDS: PM
Prime Minister Narendra ModiTuesday told the nation that the country is in safe hands and he will never letthe country down.
Speaking publicly for thefirst time after New Delhi said the Indian Air Force (IAF) hit Jaish-e-Mohammedtraining camps in Pakistan, Modi was in an exuberant mood as he addressed apublic rally in Rajasthan.
“Today is a historic day and Ifeel that a few lines of a poem which I recited in Vijay Shankh Yuva Sangam in2014 should be repeated,” he said as the crowds kept cheering and waving athim.
“From the land of Churu, Irepeat these lines while offering my prayers to Maa Bharati,” he said.
Looking at the excited facesin the crowd who were clearly happy that the JeM bases in Pakistan had been hitearlier in the day, Modi wondered why people were looking different today.
The crowd immediately startedraising slogans of “Modi, Modi”.
The Prime Minister, who madeno specific mention of Pakistan or JeM, asked the people to shout “Bharat Mataki Jai” and the crowd did so.
Earlier, Modi started hisaddress in Rajasthani dialect and said that today was a historic day and hence”we should all bow our heads to the soldiers”.
“After 70 years ofindependence, we have dedicated a national war memorial to those who sacrificedtheir lives for the nation. This memorial is quite important for Rajasthan asthis state has sacrificed thousands of their sons from Charu, Sikar andJhunjhunu,” he said.
Attacking the opposition, Modisaid: “Your one vote will give a befitting reply to those dreaming of forming aweak government and will also strengthen my government”.