Indian Air Force fighter planes dropped laser-guided bombs at a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp across the Line of Control in Balakote, early on Tuesday morning. Sources state that The IAF used Mirage-2000 jets with laser-guided 1,000-pound bombs causing an estimated casualty of 200-300. The laser-guided bombs are built with Israeli technology and were first used in Kargil. The air strike happened around 3.30 am.
According to government sources, the Balakote camp is spread around 6 to 7 acres and is the biggest Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also held a top security meet at his official residence to review the situation. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are among those present at the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting.
While all top government officials are refusing to take the call, a top intelligence source confirmed the strike at one of the biggest Jaish e Mohammed camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. According to analysts, the strike confirmed that India will deploy full spectrum deterrence if hit by a terror strike by Pakistan based terrorist group. The strike comes almost two weeks after a terror attack killed 40 CRPF troopers in Pulwama in south Kashmir that raised tensions between India and Pakistan. The suicide bombing had led to calls for punitive strikes against Pakistan for harboring terrorists.
