Balakot Airstrike Third Anniversary: Know About IAF Operation ‘Bandar’, India's Decisive Action 3 Yrs Ago

The airstrike took place on February 26, 2019. In the decades-long conflict between India and Pakistan, this airstrike demonstrated India’s military power to Pakistan

Representational Image (Photo: Getty Images)

Balakot Airstrike: The day marks three years of the Balakot airstrike. The airstrike took place on February 26, 2019. In the decades-long conflict between India and Pakistan, this airstrike demonstrated India’s military power to Pakistan. On this day, three years ago, the Indian army destroyed the hideouts of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.

As it completes three years, here is the story of India’s airstrike on Pakistan.

What Led To The Airstrike?

The airstrike of February 26 took place because of an attack carried out by JeM terrorists on February 14, 2019. It was the biggest attack in Jammu and Kashmir where a CRPF convoy was attacked with an IED bomb in Awantipora, Pulwama.

In the attack, 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the line of duty. The terror outfit JeM later took responsibility for the attack. The Balakot airstrike was carried out to avenge this attack.

How Was It Carried Out?

The operation to avenge the deaths of the martyred CRPF soldiers was planned in a completely confidential manner. The then Chief of IAF, RKS Bhadauria had decided the date for the operation to be February 26 as Army’s Aero India Show was supposed to conclude and the foreign delegations in the country were supposed to leave this day. The codeword for this operation was ‘Bandar’.

Terrorist Outfits Destroyed

After getting necessary instructions from the authorities, the Indian Air Force along with 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets, crossed the border at around 3:30 AM on February 26, 2019, and attacked Balakot in Pakistan by dropping bombs on the terrorists' hideouts. 

There were several hideouts of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed where the bombs were dropped. The Indian Air Force destroyed all the bases with an airstrike. Around 500 terrorists were reported to be at the bases at the time of the attack.

Secrecy Was maintained Throughout

During the planning of this operation complete secrecy was maintained. According to an official associated with the planning, during this time, the mobile phones of the officers were deposited. All the conversations were done face to face.

How Did The Airstrike Change The Course

The airstrike came with its own consequences. On one hand, it gave a message to the terrorist outfits of India’s strength. Since the airstrike, there have been no major attacks in India from Pakistan’s side.