IAF chief to visit MiG base in Srinagar to mark first anniversary of Balakot airstrike 

Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, is likely to fly with MiG-21 pilots to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday,  February 27, to mark the first anniversary of the Balakot airstrike. As per reports, the IAF chief Bhadauria is expected to himself fly a MiG-21 Bison aircraft with the 51 Squadron of the Indian Air Force.

The base in Srinagar was used to launch fighter planes last February to engage Pakistan Air Force aircraft a day after Indian Mirage-2000s struck targets in Pakistan’s Balakot and Wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman was a part of the mission.

According to reports, Mirage 2000 fighters may also be part of the display tomorrow. Besides this, IAF chief RKS Bhadauria will also address a seminar titled 'Indian Air Force: No War, No Peace' at the DRDO Bhawan on Friday, February 28. As per reports, he is likely to in the seminar about the Balakot airstrikes and the air skirmish on the following day.

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Balakot Air Strikes

Days after the Pulwama terror attack that shook our nation, India on February 26, 2019, pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province at Balakot in Pakistan by carrying out coordinated airstrikes. In a pinpointed and swift airstrike that lasted less than two minutes, officials stated that the IAF targeted 350 terrorists and trainers.

The "preemptive and non-military" action by India was seen as a result of strong leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi who on February 15, 2019, had said 'those responsible will pay a very heavy price' and 'security forces will be given a free hand to deal with terrorists.' 

The braveheart of the Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman also spent a few days in Pakistani custody after he shoot down a modern Pakistani F16 jet, following which his MiG-21 was shot down in a dogfight the with Pakistan Air Force just a day after the February 26 Balakot airstrike.

READ | Balakot Airstrikes Featured In Indian Air Force's Calendar For The Year 2020

Pulwama Terror Attack 

On February 14, 2019, an explosives-laden truck rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama outside Srinagar, killing 40 soldiers in one of the biggest terror attacks in recent years.

PM Modi in his speech after the Pulwama terror attack had said, "Security forces have been given complete freedom, the blood of the people is boiling... Our neighboring country, which has been isolated internationally, thinks such terror attacks can destabilize us, but their plans will not materialize." 

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