Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Tuesday said that India conducted a major preemptive strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest camp to prevent suicide attacks being planned by the Pakistan-based terror group, killing a large number of terrorists and trainers.
While no official estimate was given on the number of terrorists killed, sources said 200-300 terrorists are estimated to have been killed in the strikes.
Fighter jets of the Indian Air Force, including Mirage 2000, bombed terror camps at multiple locations across the Line of Control on the Pakistani side in a pre-dawn strike.
Government sources said the Mirage 2000 fighter jets targeted JeM terror camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti in the well-planned strike, destroying the camps. The operation was carried out between 3:50 AM and 4:05 AM.
"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," IAF sources said. Sources said Pakistani F16s were scrambled to retaliate against IAF Mirage 2000s but turned back due to size of the Indian formation.
Briefing the media, Foreign Secretary said credible intelligence was received that the JeM was planning to carry out other suicide attacks in India after the Pulwama bombing on a CRPF convoy 12 days ago that killed 40 jawans.
"In an intelligence led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghouri, the brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar," Gokhale said.
In the face of imminent danger, a preventive strike became "absolutely necessary", he said.
(With inputs from Manish Shukla)
