IAF strikes Jaish camp across LoC: Here’s what we know so far

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Updated: Feb 26, 2019 14:04 IST

The India Air Force carried out a strike at terror group Jaish-e-Muhammed’s biggest camp in Pakistan on Tuesday. The Indian Air Force dropped bombs in the terror camp headed Jaish chief Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law Maulana Yousuf Azhar. Sources told HT earlier that the laser-guided 1,000 pound bombs caused an estimated casualty of 200-300.

Here are the top developments

— Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said credible intelligence was received that the Jaish was planning to carry out suicide attacks in India after the Pulwama bombing on February 14 that at killed 40 jawans.

— The terror camp in Balakot, located in a thick forest on a hilltop, was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar, alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Gokhale said.

— Sources said the IAF used Mirage-2000 jets with laser-guided 1,000 pound bombs causing an estimated casualty of 200-300. The laser guided bombs, built with Israeli technology, were first used in the Kargil war.

— A high-level cabinet committee meeting on security-led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held on Tuesday morning. Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, home minister Rajnath Singh, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, finance minister Arun Jaitley and national security advisor Ajit Doval were among those who attended the meet.

— Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said “better sense” should prevail in India and said his country “holds the right to proper response” to what he termed a “grave aggression”. “It is a violation of the Line of Control. Pakistan holds the right to self defence and proper response,” said Qureshi, according to a video statement posted by the Pakistan’s ruling party Tehreek-e-Insaf.

—The “pre-emptive strikes” were hailed by leaders of various political parties with the BJP asserting that Prime Minister Modi’s political will has made the difference while Congress chief Rahul Gandhi lauded the IAF and saluted its pilots.

— External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has called an all-party meeting at 5 pm today. The meeting will take place hours after the IAF raid across the Line of Control to target terror camps.

— NSA Ajit Doval along with Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief BS Dhanoa are reviewing the security situation on the borders after Indian Air Force strikes.