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' 98 .% : % : : ,$#5,378 ) ). ()*+,- / ,0 01$8$; ;23+438$++2<&2)1$)62 3$)$ &=64+744+& ! " # ""#$!#% %#%#% /$)/6-6/& $1&$67)4*-&$+/4332 021$)3#$ #&#%%# -* %-6 (,," ( >$ / & $ (( ) )97:; 7 !! )&0&-12 welve days after Paksitan- Tbased Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) carried out a deadly ter- ror attack in Pulwama killing 44 CRPF men, Indian fighter )&0&-12 declaration of war, which jets on Tuesday pre-dawn exe- Islamabad could ill afford given cuted pin-pointed punitive fter the IAF successfully its global isolation and miser- strikes deep inside Pakistan ter- Acarried out the mission to able economic situation. Given ritory against terror groups’ destroy terror camps in Balakot that constraint,. Pakistan will training camps eliminating on Tuesday, the Indian defence try to ramp up pressure all around 300 of their cadre. establishment is on guard to across the 750km Line of India termed the action as thwart any retaliation from Control (LOC) in Jammu & “pre-emptive” and “non-mili- across the border. Kashmir and International tary” to deter JeM from carry- Officials said the next 48 Border stretching from Jammu ing out suicide attacks in the hours are most crucial as to Punjab, Rajasthan and country. It was not clear Pakistan might be forced to Gujarat. All these States are whether JeM chief Maulana carry out some action in now on high alert. Masood Azhar’s brother-in- a “tit for tat” to assuage its The Army is on alert across law Maulana Yusuf Azhar, alias domestic audience, which is the LoC as it is the first line of Ustad Ghouri, was killed in the questioning the lapses in defence there. All the airbases IAF attack. Pakistan defences to detect the of the IAF are also following the Precision guided ammuni- fighter jets which penetrated drills to prevent any aerial tion and missiles were used to deep inside the country. attack. Reports indicated that destroy the JeM’s biggest terror In the fast evolving sce- many high value targets like camp in Balakot in Khyber nario post Balakot attack, the fighter jets were shifted to Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK) Cabinet Committee on underground hangars to avoid located at the tri-junction of Security (CCS) chaired by detection by Pakistani satellites. Pakistan Punjab and KPK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Most of these airbases are Using air power for the first took stock of the situation and in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, time since the 1971 war with defence preparedness to meet Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan, India conducted any challenge from Pakistan. sources said. Also, the IAF has “intelligence-led” operation. Since India does not have taken all offensive measures to In fact, the IAF was not allowed any terrorist camps, Pakistan respond in case Pakistan vio- to cross the Line of Control can resort to airstrike only by lates Indian airspace from any (LoC) even at the height of the targeting military or civilian direction, they said. Kargil war in 1999. targets. This could be an open Continued on Page 4 The punitive strikes were carried out by at least 12 enemy radars to enter Pakistani Mirage-2000 jets at 3.40 am. airspace and deployed the same The terror camp in Balakot is tactics when PAF scrambled "# "$ located about 60km as the their F-16s near Balakot. crow flies from the LoC in Uri Also, some SU-30 MKI, the in Kashmir, sources said. frontline fighter jets, were ! The actual bombing at the deployed close to the LoC to $ % $" terror camp was over in 90 sec- take care of any retaliatory onds and at least five to six action by the PAF besides air 2/-$3$#$ Minister Imran Khan asked the military brass “concluded that Mirages were in Pakistani ter- borne early earning commu- )&0&-12 and some other terrorist organ- In fact, JeM chief’s son armed forces and the people of India has committed uncalled ritory for not more than six to nication system aircraft hov- isations. The camp is headed by Abdullah had also under- akistan on Tuesday strong- his country to remain prepared for aggression to which seven minutes. The entire ered in Indian territory to feed he terrorist training camp JeM chief Maulana Masood gone training in militancy at Ply rejected India’s claim of for “all eventualities.” Pakistan shall respond at the operation including the real time situation about Tin Balakot was targeted by Azhar’s brother-in-law the same camp, they said targeting terrorist camp in the “The forum (NSC) time and place of its choosing,” Mirages taking off from various Pakistani defences to the India after intelligence indi- Maulana Yusuf Azhar. adding new recruits are country and causing heavy strongly rejected Indian claim it added. locations close to the LoC to Mirage formation, they said. cated that scores of terrorists of However, it is not yet con- imparted training in han- casualties even as it vowed to of targeting an alleged terror- It also invited the world confuse the Pakistan Air At least 1,000 kg of explo- Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and firmed if he was present in the dling weapons. respond “at the time and place ist camp near Balakot and the media to see the facts on Force (PAF) lasted about 20 sives were released by the IAF other terror groups had shift- camp when the IAF targeted it, of its choosing” and raise the claim of heavy casualties. ground and proposed a visit to minutes and all the aircraft jets to destroy the camp. ed there after the Pulwama sources admitted. *$"+,-.$##/-$*#01 issue at the United Nations and Once again Indian the site. Citing sources, Geo landed back safely. While the mother base of attack to escape any action by Balakot is located in a hill- ,-+'!$++-+,$, other international forums. Government has resorted to a TV reported that Pakistan will The Pakistan Army Mirage-2000s is at Gwalior, the Indian security forces. top forest far away from civil- +$+#23,$#+*#,, At a hurriedly called spe- self-serving, reckless and fic- raise the issue of India’s “vio- alleged the strike was futile. more than 1,000 km from Earlier, these fidayeen and ian population and military 1#,$+3$$.#4-.$ cial meeting of the National titious claim,” said a statement lation” of the LoC at the United “Indian aircraft intruded Balakot, the jets selected for the fighters were lodged in launch establishments and therefore a &$ #23 ,+##23 Security Committee (NSC) issued after the NSC meeting Nations, the Organisation of from Muzafarabad sector. mission were shifted to some pads close to the Line of “sitting duck target”, for the 5#22+,-.$$++-+4+-"1 hours after India’s airstrikes in Islamabad. Islamic Cooperation and other Facing timely and effective forward bases in Jammu & Control (LoC) to infiltrate Indian forces to avoid collater- inside Pakistan, Prime The country’s top civil and international forums. response from PAF, they Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana from multiple points in al damage for punitive action, released payload in haste shortly before the designated Jammu & Kashmir through they said. while escaping which fell time. Mid-air refuellers pro- South and North of Pir Panjal At least 325 terrorists and & near Balakot. No casualties or vided fuel to the jets to sustain mountain ranges. 25 to 27 trainers were at the "#!# damage,” said Major General them for long in the air. Elaborating upon the rea- camp when the Indian fighter "' Asif Ghafoor, Director The Mirages also took off son for zeroing in on Balakot, jets attacked and it was the General of Inter-Services from various airbases to avoid located at the junction of biggest camp operated by the R $ % Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan intelligence network, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan-based JeM which had which is the media wing of they said. Pakistan’s Punjab and claimed responsibility for the Churu (Rajasthan): In his first )&0&-12 the strike and conveyed that the Pakistan Army. Giving details of the strikes Balochistan, officials in the February 14 suicide attack on public address after airstrikes the action was specifically Sources said at least two and terming them as “non-mil- security establishment said this a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on terror camps in Pakistan, ndia on Tuesday reaches targeted at the JeM camp. She Mirages flew in a loop after itary” apparently since the tar- camp is the main centre of JeM that martyred 44 jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Iout to world powers on its also spoke to Chinese Foreign radars picked them up in order gets were not military, Foreign on Tuesday said the country is airstrike on the Jaish-e- Minister Wang Yi and to confuse Pakistani defences. Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in safe hands and that he will Mohammed’s (JeM) biggest apprised him of the “non-mil- Two other Mirages flying at low here credible intelligence was &)*+" " not let the country down. terror training camp at itary, preemptive airstrikes”, level slipped through the radar received that the JeM was plan- The PM stressed that noth- Balakot in Pakistan and the sources said. Sushma is net and targeted the terror ning to carry out other suicide ing was above the nation. briefed envoy of 12 nations scheduled to brief the Chinese camp, sources said. attacks in India after the % “Today is a day to pay homage about its “preemptive mea- Foreign Minister and The Mirages also used elec- Pulwama bombing. to India’s bravehearts. Today, sure”. Russian Foreign Minister tronic warfare to jam the )&0&-12 exchange for passengers’ safe- from the land of Churu, I want Top sources said External on Wednesday. ty after a seven-day crisis. to assure the people of the Affairs Minister Sushma Foreign Secretary Vijay he terror “facility at Balakot” The Balakot camp of JeM country that the country is in Swaraj also spoke to her coun- Gokhale and other Secretaries Tthat was struck by Mirage was a joint training camp of safe hands,” he said at a public terparts in the US, China, have been briefing separately fighter jets at 3.30 am on the Pakistan Army’s terror rally here.

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