Yes, We Did It: India Confirms Striking JeM Terror Camps In Pakistan
Even as media speculation over what is being dubbed as India's second surgical strike on Pakistan terror camps in retaliation for Pulwama attack took the Twitter by storm, foreign secretary confirmed the news saying it was true.
In a press conference, India's foreign secretary VK Gokhale termed the attack a 'non-military preemptive action'. The high ranking official admitted to targetting JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot. There's no confirmation yet to know if JeM chief Mailana Masood Azhar's brother-in-law Maulana Yusuf Azhar, who was running the camp was killed in the Mirage 2000 strike.
Reports said: "In the early hours of Tuesday, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated.”
He also asserted that this was an at of defense and not war. "The selection of the target was also conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties. The facility is located in thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence,” he added.
It's worth mentioning here that the Jaish e Mohammad is responsible for a series of terror attacks – the 2001 Parliament attack, the January 2016 Pathankot attack.
Also Read: India Avenges Pulwama Deaths With Pre-Drawn Airstrike On Pakistan