Hours after the surgical air strikes by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan, the government on Tuesday announced that the targeted strike was aimed at Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp operated by Jaish operative Maulana Yusuf Azhar at Balakote.

Giving details about the air strikes, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, while addressing a press conference, said the preemptive strike was planned following intelligence inputs that the Jaish-e-Mohammad was planning major suicide attacks across the country.

“In the early hours of Tuesday, the Indians struck at the biggest training camp being operated in Balakote. A strike was launched in which a large number of terrorists, senior commanders of the terror outfits were eliminated,’’ said Gokhale.

Gokhale claimed that the terror camp was operated by senior Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Maulana Yusuf Azhar, brother-in-law of Maulana Masood Azhar.

Gokhale said the Government of India was firm and resolute to foil any terror attack and hence the preemptive strike. “It was a targeted strike in which our air force strikers ensured that no damage was done to civilian population and only terror camp was struck,” said Gokhale.

Courtesy:The Tribune, Feb 26,2019