New Delhi: Pakistan on Tuesday confirmed that Indian Air Force jets had crossed the Line of Control, but downplayed the extent of damage bombs dropped by the fighter planes had caused.
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Major General Asif Ghafoor, in a series of tweets said the "Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzafarabad sector in Azad Jammu and Kashmir", which falls across the Line of Control.
He claimed that that the aircraft only managed to fly three-four miles inside Pakistani airspace and faced "timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force".
“Under forced hasty withdrawal aircrafts released payload which had free fall in open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties (sic),” he said.
Indian government sources, however, told CNN-News18 that there were over 200 casualties in the strike, which targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) hideout in Balakot with laser-guided bombs.
The laser-guided bombs are built with Israeli technology and were first used in Kargil. The air strike happened around 3.30 am. According to top government sources, the Balakot camp is spread around 6 to 7 acres and is the biggest JeM one in Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), however, denied hit out at this version the events saying, "Perhaps Indian Defence Ministry should call up Indian media houses and inform them of the cover-up story they have for Indian Air Force retreat. Might help in controlling their hysteria."
Perhaps Indian Defence Ministry should call up Indian media houses and inform them of the cover up story they have for Indian Air Force retreat. Might help in controlling their hysteria.#Pakistan https://t.co/My0VKpGSDI— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 26, 2019
In a subsequent tweet, PTI slammed the Indian side saying, "Indian government is in dire need of winning the upcoming elections, selfish enough, they are willing to create unrest in the entire region."
The strike comes amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan after the February 14 suicide attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
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