Trainers from Afghanistan roped in to coach hardened terrorists at Balakot: Intel

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 07: Months after the Balakot terror facility of the Jaish-e-Mohammad was hit by the Indian Air Force, the same was re-activated. The latest intel on the facility says that several terrorists are now being trained.

The Intelligence Bureau further states that these terrorists are being trained to carry out a major strike in India. There are at least 27 terrorists, most of them from Pakistan occupied Kashmir who are being trained to strike.

The IB said that top trainers from Afghanistan have been roped in to impart training to these terrorists. Once their training is completed, they would be launched into India, the IB report also stated. An IB officer tells OneIndia that the terrorists would be launched in Jammu and Kashmir. Further, the officer also said that apart from these persons from Balakot, Pakistan has kept on standby 300 terrorists and is waiting to launch them into India.

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The facility after being hit in March 2019 was re-activated in October the same year. In March 2019, the IAF had hit the terror facility and also managed to destroy four intended targets.

The targets that were hit included the training complex, a seminary and two halls that accommodated the terrorists. While the Research and Analysis Wing had mapped the entire Balakot facility several years back, the IAF went in for a precision strike. The intent was to hit the selected four targets, the source added.

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By March 2, 2019, India had gathered sufficient evidence that suggested the targets identified at the Balakot facility had been hit as intended. Evidence in the form of satellite imagery had been collected, which clearly suggested that the buildings that were identified had been hit. Further, it was said that the buildings were hit by 5 S-2000 precision-guided munition that were fired from the Mirage 2000.

The evidence that was collected is under the classified category and it was entirely up to the government whether or not to release the information. India collected evidence in the form of Synthetic Aperture Radar, which suggested that the four buildings that were selected as targets were hit.

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According to intelligence inputs, Pakistan-based terror groups may target vital installations in several key Indian cities in the next few weeks, sources said. Pakistan's plan is to trigger series of terror attacks in Kashmir to project to the international community that situation in the Valley is fast deteriorating following India's decision to withdraw special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two union territories, they said.