IAF bombs JeM hub deep inside Pakistan, India claims heavy toll

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale says the "intelligence-led operation" on the Pakistan-based terror group's biggest training camp in Balakot area became "absolutely necessary" as it was planning more suicide attacks in India

New Delhi: In a pinpointed and swift air strike that ended in 20 minutes, India pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM's) biggest training camp in Pakistan early on Tuesday, killing up to 350 terrorists and trainers who were moved there for their protection after the Pulwama attack, officials said.

The pre-dawn operation, described as "non-military" and "preemptive", struck a five-star resort style camp on a hilltop forest that provided Indian forces with a "sitting
duck target" and caught the terrorists in their sleep, sources said.

"I want to assure the people that the country is in safe hands. There is nothing above the nation," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a public rally in Churu, Rajasthan, in his first remarks after the strike. He, however, did not make a direct reference to the attack or give any details.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told the media the "intelligence-led operation" on the Pakistan-based terror group's biggest training camp in Balakot became "absolutely necessary" as it was planning more suicide attacks in India, after the February 14 attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in which 40 soldiers were killed.

Pakistan reacts

• Pakistan will raise the issue of India's "violation" of the LoC at the United Nations and other international forums, a media report said on Tuesday, quoting sources. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by the top civil and military leadership, Geo TV reported.
• Pakistan summoned India's acting high commissioner and condemned the "violation of its territorial sovereignty" by Indian fighter jets. In a statement, the foreign office said that at "approximately 02:54 hours (local time), eight Indian aircraft were effectively intercepted by the Pakistani Air Force jets and forced" to return.
• Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that he has spoken to his UAE counterpart and "expressed reservations" about invitation to India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to attend the OIC meeting scheduled later this week.
• The Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar shelling on 55 forward areas in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts after IAF airstrike across the LoC, Army sources said.

Indian attack was repulsed: Pak army
Pakistan Army confirmed that Indian fighter jets dropped "four bombs" during an operation on Tuesday but downplayed its significance, saying the Indian attack was repulsed and while going back the aircraft "jettisoned their payload". Army Spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor also said Pakistan will "surprise" India with its response that will be in all domains including "diplomatic, political and military".

'Mirage 2000 jets chosen for accuracy'
A fleet of Mirage 2000 deep-penetration fighter jets assisted by other assets of the IAF carried out the pre-dawn strike on the biggest terror camp of the JeM terror outfit in Pakistan, government sources said. The sources said the Mirage 2000 aircraft was chosen for its capability to hit targets with "pin-point" accuracy.

'Balakot camp used for battle inoculation'
The Balakot-based JeM terror camp destroyed by the IAF was used for "battle inoculation" and its trainers were retired officers of the Pakistani army, government sources said. Located on the banks of Kunhar river in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pak, the camp was also used by Hizbul Mujahideen.

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