While Indians have been hailing the Indian Air Force for the 20-minute strike on terror camps in Pakistan, which is likely to have killed about 300 terrorists, Islamabad seems to have a different opinion on it and has claimed that India caused no damage.
Pakistan has said that the IAF violated its airspace early on Tuesday, February 26, morning but returned after facing a "timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force." Pakistani Major General Asif Ghafoor announced the "violation" on Twitter and said that the IAF could cause no damage to the nation.
"Indian Air Force violated Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back," Major General Ghafoor's Tweet read. "Details to follow," he added. Speaking of the bomb that the IAF had released in Balakot, Ghafoor said: "Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzafarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage."
However, Indian sources told ANI that Pakistan did scramble a few of its F-16 jets, but they eventually returned after seeing the size of the IAF's formation. It has been said that 12 Mirage 2000 jets were a part of the strike and dropped about 1,000-kilogram of laser-guided bombs on terror camps. "At 0330 hours on 26th February, a group of Mirage 2000 Indian Fighter jets struck a major terrorist camp across the LoC and completely destroyed it," ANI reported.
A video that appeared on Twitter also showed an JF-17 Thunder jet taking off into the night sky to apparently retaliate against the IAF Mirage 2000s, but the footage could not be verified as authentic.
After the strike, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reportedly called for an emergency meeting in Islamabad to discuss the situation and told the people in the country not to worry as Pak was fully prepared to respond to such strikes. In a statement, reported by Radio Pakistan, Qureshi also said that India must not challenge Pakistan and that "better sense" should prevail in Delhi. PM Imran Khan has also reportedly called for an emergency meeting.
Relations between India and Pakistan have worsened since the February 14 Pulwama attacks that killed at least 40 CRPF personnel and injured several others. Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the bomb attack and India has since vowed to globally isolate Pakistan. The IAF's attack is also said to have destroyed a training camp of JeM.
