Delhi: Auto driver gives free rides after IAF's air strike on Pakistan

Pic courtesy/ Twitter/ ANI

New Delhi: A Delhi-based auto driver on Tuesday offered free rides to celebrate the air strike carried out by Indian Air Force in Pakistan. Driver Manoj told ANI, "cannot do much but I am offering free rides. I am happy, I am not charging anything from commuters today."

He had also pasted on his auto printed messages expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and saluting the security forces for their valour. Meanwhile, parties across the political spectrum on Tuesday hailed the air strikes carried out at Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Pakistan, saying such a step was necessary for defeating terrorism.

After the IAF planes returned safely from Pakistan, the government decided to call an all-party meeting to apprise them about the developments. Earlier in the day, leaders from various political parties appreciated the IAF's aerial strikes, destroying vast and advanced training camp of JeM.

India carried out air strikes deep inside Pakistan, annihilating the JeM camp and eliminating a large number of terrorists, including top commanders, of the terror group which had attacked CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14. In the swift operation, launched at around 3.30 am and completed within minutes, 12 Mirage-2000 fighter jets belonging to the IAF pounded the training centre, housing around 300 terrorists, in Balakot with six bombs while SU-30 combat aircraft maintained air superiority to ward off any retaliation by the Pakistan Air Force, sources said.

The camp, located in a forest area atop a hill, was headed by JeM chief Masood Azhar's brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar alias Ustad Gauri, who was involved in the 1999 hijack of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 and was on Interpol lookout notice since 2000. Suicide bombers were produced in the camp, sources said adding that the terrorists have imparted the advanced Daura e Khaas training in weapons, explosives and field tactics, tactics for attacking security forces convoys, planting and making IEDs, preparations for suicide bombing, rigging vehicles for suicide attacks and survival tactics in high altitudes and extreme-stress situations.

After Tuesday's air strike, the casualty figure of the terrorists is very high as the JeM had shifted its entire cadre to this camp from the launching pads along the Line of Control (LoC), fearing surgical strike-type response from India in the aftermath of Pulwama attack, sources said about first such action by India.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever