350 Jaish terrorists killed, all-party meet takes united stance against terror

Today I assure the countrymen, the country is in safe hands: PM Narendra Modi in Churu, Rajasthan

"Today, I repeat what I said back in 2014 - Saugandh mujhe is mitti ki main desh nahi mitne doonga, main desh nahi rukne doonga. Main desh nahi jhukne doonga....Mera vachan hai Bharat maa ko, tera sheesh nahi jhukne doonga..."

The airstrike was carried out in less than two weeks after the Pulwama attack. On February 14, a suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives rammed a bus carrying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops, killing 40 jawans. The convoy which was attacked on the Jammu-Srinagar highway had over 70 vehicles and more than 2,500 personnel. The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the terror attack.

IAF Sources: At 0330 hours on 26th February a group of Mirage 2000 Indian Fighter jets struck a major terrorist camp across the LoC and completely destroyed it. 1000 Kg bombs were dropped on terror camps across the LoC.  12 Mirage 2000 jets took part in the operation.

The terror camp was situated in Balakot sector in Pakistani territory. 

Update: Terror launch pads in Balakot, Chakoti, Muzaffarabad and destroyed. Alpha-3 control rooms of Jaish-e--Mohammad Destroyed.

(Reported by Sanjay Bragta)

Balakot (24 KM NW of Muzaffarabad): 3:45-3:53 AM - Hit locations -Joint training camps of JeM, LeT & HM. They had emptied Launchpads but not training camps

Muzaffarabad: 3:48 AM- :55 AM

Chakoti: 3: 58 AM- 4:04 AM

Balakot, Chakoti, Mujhafarabaad, pads destroyed.

Alpha-3 control rooms of Jaish Destroyed.

Alpha 3 is a fixed communication center of terror outfits in PoK. Once the terrorists are inside Indian territory, Alpha-3 guides, directs and controls their operations through a prefixed frequency on ICOM handsets. Whenever required Alpha-3 arranges tactical and material support through previously identified contacts. 

Aksa camp near Muzaffarabad conducts 21 days Daura-e-Aam training course and Tabook Camp near Muzaffarabad conducts 30 days Daura-e-Khas training course for the LeT terrorists after clearing Daura-e-Aam.

These training camps are conducted in summer and begin in March end or April first week.

In two tweets on Tuesday, Pakistan Army said that the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and dropped payload near Balakot in Pakistani territory. 

"Indian Air Force violated Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow," the Spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, Major General Asif Ghafoor, tweeted early on Tuesday.

In another tweet, he added, "Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzaffarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security​ at his official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. 

Pakistan's former military dictator Gen (retd.) Pervez Musharraf has termed talk of any nuclear war with India as rubbish, saying if Pakistan would attack India with one atomic bomb, then New Delhi could "finish us by attacking with 20 bombs". It is not so simple. Do not talk like this. There is always a military strategy," Musharraf, who is on self-exile in Dubai, said in response to a question at a news conference in Dubai on Friday evening.

"If Pakistan would attack India with one atomic bomb, then the neighbouring country could finish us by attacking with 20 bombs," he was quoted as saying by the paper."The only solution is that we should first attack them with 50 atom bombs so that they cannot hit us with 20 bombs. Are you ready to first launch an attack with 50 bombs?" he asked.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had warned Pakistan and terror groups behind Pulwama terror attack saying that they have committed a “grave mistake” and they will pay a "very heavy price" for the ghastly attack. 

"Our neighbouring country thinks such terror attacks can weaken us, but their plans will not materialise," he said at a function to flag off a new semi-high speed train from Delhi to Varanasi, a day after the Pulwama suicide bombing. 

"I want to tell terrorist organisations and their guardians that they have committed a grave mistake. Those behind the attack will be punished for their actions,” Modi said.

In a series of tweets, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "Balakot which is quite far out into the LOC is a deep strike and purportedly where Hafeez Saeed gives a lot of his addresses. If IAF penetrated that deep without casualties it's a highly successful mission."

"Indian Air Force Strikes at Balakot don't have official word yet but the Helter skelter by Pakistan seems like something big has happened. The IAF has gone beyond POK & into Pakistan near their capital while they were busy counting alms received from Saudi & China," he added. 

Sources said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed to avenge the Pulwama attack and it was decided within the 24 hours of the attack on CRPF jawans that terror camps in Pak territory would be targeted. 

Report by: Manish Shukla

Balakot, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, is about 50 km (31 miles) from the Line of Control (LoC), which acts as a de facto border between the two countries that have fought three wars since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

(Reuters inputs)

We are bombing our own territory temporarily called PoK. So no international law broken but it is in self defence, said BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in a tweet. 

"I salute the pilots of the IAF," Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted. Other political leaders have also reacted and hailed the strikes.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has summoned an emergency meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan. The meeting will discuss the security situation: Pk media