India launched airstrike on Pakistan terror camps: Sources
India is believed to have carried out an airstrike inside Pakistan early on Tuesday and targeted terror camps, sources said.
The strikes, involving several fighter jets of the Indian Air Force, successfully destroyed camps belonging to Pakistan-based terror outfits in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the sources told PTI.
The extent of the damage inflicted on the ground is not immediately known.
Pakistan's military spokesperson tweeted that Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday and carried out an airstrike but said there were no casualties from the attack.
Major. Gen Asif Ghafoor said the Indian 'aircrafts' crossed into the Pakistan-controlled Muzafarabad sector of Kashmir. He added that Pakistan scrambled fighter jets and before turning back, the Indian jets they 'released payload in haste,' near Balakot, on the edge of Pakistani-ruled Kashmir.
Indian aircrafts’ intrusion across LOC in Muzafarabad Sector within AJ&K was 3-4 miles.Under forced hasty withdrawal aircrafts released payload which had free fall in open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties. Technical details and other important information to follow.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
Payload of hastily escaping Indian aircrafts fell in open. pic.twitter.com/8drYtNGMsm
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
The development comes amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan after the February 14 suicide attack by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group that killed 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal have praised the pilots of the Indian Air Force after the reported airstrike.
🇮🇳 I salute the pilots of the IAF. 🇮🇳
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 26, 2019
I salute the bravery of Indian Air Force pilots who have made us proud by striking terror targets in Pakistan
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 26, 2019
The Congress Twitter handle, too, was full of praise.
We salute the @IAF_MCC for their consistent & determined effort to keep Indians safe.
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 26, 2019
Jai Hind. https://t.co/RmfHQNlwH4
The Cabinet Committee on Security met in New Delhi on Tuesday morning at the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Finance minister Arun Jaitley, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, home minister Rajnath Singh and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman were present at the meeting. National security adviser Ajit Doval and other top officials of the Prime Minister's Office and the security apparatus were also there, official sources said.
Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale will hold a news conference at 11am on Tuesday.
