NEW DELHI – Indian authorities have claimed to conduct an intelligence-based operation in Balakot area across the Line of Control.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has claimed that there was credible information that JeM was planning suicide attacks similar to Pulwama in other parts of the country and hence this strike was necessary.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1100276206635630592
India has claimed that in the early hours today, it has struck the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot.
In the controversial claim, India has said that that in the intelligence-based operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commander & Jihadis were eliminated.
Indian claim came right after the IAF violated Pakistan’s airspace in Muzaffarabad sector of Azad Kashmir across the LOC.
Prior to the Indian claim, Pakistani Military’s spokesperson has said that IAF jets were unable to hit any target or do any damage as the PAF had already been on high alert for such an eventuality and there were reports of PAF conducting border patrol missions in light of Indian hostilities.
https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/1100207947022565377
While Pakistan is claiming that Indian jets failed to hit any target and scrambled in haste due to PAF’s quick response, Indian media has been quick to jump the gun to claim some sort of victory over Pakistan. This violation of LoC is already being called Surgical Strike 2 in the Indian media, but it seems more like an information operation to placate their own public rather than a military strike.
Indian public has been demanding some sort of action against Pakistan after Pulwama attack, which Indian media and govt had blamed on Pakistan.
The confrontation follows escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals since the deadly Pulwama bombing in Kashmir, killing 40 Indian paramilitary troops.
