Updated February 26th, 2019 at 17:03 IST
Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sreesanth salute Indian Air Force after Balakot airstrike
The IAF has struck the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said and to celebrate India’s victory, cricketers Sehwag, Singh and Sreesanth lauded the IAF pilots.
In the wee hours of February 26, the fighter jets of the Indian Air Force destroyed terror camps in Pakistan. IAF sources then said that a group of Mirage 2000 Indian fighter jets struck a terror camp across the Line of Control (LoC) and completely destroyed it at 0330 hours on February 26. 12 Air Force Mirage jets dropped 1000 kg bombs on terror camps across the LoC.
Several celebrities lauded the Indian Air Force for the revenge they took. Here’s what they wrote -
Sreesanth wrote: “saare Jahan Se Accha Hindustan Humara. Jai Hind.”
Virender Sehwag tweeted: “The boys have played really well. #SudharJaaoWarnaSudhaarDenge #airstrike”
Yuvraj Singh wrote: “Extremely proud of our #IndianAirForce. We salute the IAF , Jai Hind”
The strike on Pakistani terror launchpads comes just short of two weeks after the heinous Pulwama terror attack in which a suicide bomber in an explosives-laden car targeted a CRPF convoy. 40 CRPF Jawans were martyred in the attack for which the Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility shortly afterwards.
In the days following the attack, the Indian government, including the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, have made clear that the Armed Forces had been given a free rein to avenge the attack.
In their launch, Azhar Yusuf alias Mohd Salim alias Ustaad Gohri was targeted on Tuesday in Balakot, he was also one of the hijackers of IC-814.
READ | 'BRAVO INDIA', Says Rajinikanth As India Destroys Pakistan's Terror Camps With 1000 Kg Bombs
Three locations were targeted by the Indian Air Force. Here is the timeline:
- 3:45 am-3:53 am: The first strike was conducted at Balakot, 24 KM North West of Muzafarrabad.
- 3:48 am- 3:55 am: The second strike, as per top sources, was at Muzafarrabad
- Around 3:55 am: India's third blow was at Chakoti
The locations that were targeted by the Air Force included joint training camps of JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen.
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Published February 26th, 2019 at 16:48 IST