12 Mirage 2000 jets were involved in the operation that dropped 1000kg of bombs.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday Indian military aircraft crossed the line of control frontier in the disputed Kashmir region and “released a payload” after Pakistan scrambled its own jets, but there was no casualties or damage.
The Indian government is yet to respond to the development but multiple reports have claimed that the IAF carried out the strike at a terror camp well beyond the Line of Control (LoC).
“Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzafarabad sector,” Pakistani military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter early on Wednesday, referring to an area in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir.
Indian News agency ANI has also reported quoting Indian Air Force sources that 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.
He said “facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force”, the Indian aircraft “released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage.”
Indian News agency ANI has also reported quoting Indian Air Force sources that 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.
12 Mirage 2000 jets took part in the operation that dropped 1000 Kg bombs on terror camps across LOC, completely destroying it, ANI tweeted.
The latest development follows a suicide bombing attack on India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama on February 14 that killed more than 40 troopers.
The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and prompted a spike in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Flight tracking websites spotted heightened activities along the border with an IAF early warning plane Emb 145 and mid-air refueller circling in the area early in the morning.
Reports claimed that the IAF strike was carried out by a group of Mirage 2000 fighters at around 3.30 a.m.
The strike in Balakot is significant as the location is beyond Pakistan Administered Kashmir, indicating it was not merely an LoC violation but a punitive action inside Pakistani territory.
Pakistan Armed Forces spokesperson also released images of what he described as payload from hastily escaping Indian aircraft.
This is the first time in decades that the Indian Air Force has crossed the LOC. It didn’t even happen during the Kargil war, comment senior journalist Vikram Chandra on Twitter.
