India Strikes Back: All you need to know
IAF crosses LoC for the first time since the 1971 war.
In less than two weeks after the Pulwama attack, in which about 40 soldiers of the CRPF were killed, India reportedly carried out pre-dawn strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control. According to sources, ten Mirage 2000 aircraft dropped 1,000 kg bombs on the terror camps destroying three control rooms of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Here's all you need to know about the strike.
Second surgical strike
A surgical strike is an attack with a military target, with no or minimal collateral damage to the surroundings, the public etc.
On September 29, 2016, India announced its first surgical strike following the Uri attack early that month which had killed 19 soldiers. Indian Army was moved to carry out the first surgical strike, while today's attack marks the first overt use of the IAF across the LoC.
Where is Masood Azhar?
Pakistan denied its link to JeM and the Pulwama attack. But according to reports, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligences shifted Masood Azhar from Rawalpindi to Kotghani near Bahawalpur soon after the Pulwama attack. Security has been tightened.
Where exactly the strike took place
We are bombing our own territory temporarily called PoK. So no international law broken but it is in self defence
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 26, 2019
According to reports, one of the targets destroyed by IAF Mirage jets was in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area, which is beyond Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This has already triggered a confusion on social media whether it was Bala Kote in PoK or Balakot in KP.
Source: Air strikes in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region were based on locations provided by on ground intelligence sources. https://t.co/9BVnfSsIXB
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2019
Just to be clear: #Balakot is not in Azad Kashmir. If Indian Air Force planes dropped payload in Balakot, they crossed across the LOC, and then across the entirety of Azad Kashmir, and then into Khyber Pakhtukhwa. India didn't "cross the LOC". It has attacked Pakistan.
— Mosharraf Zaidi (@mosharrafzaidi) February 26, 2019
Casualty
The extent of the damage on the ground is not yet known. While the Indian operation has been termed successful, the Pakistani side dismissed it.
Payload of hastily escaping Indian aircrafts fell in open. pic.twitter.com/8drYtNGMsm
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019