IAF avenges Pulwama attack, 12 Mirage jets destroy 3-Jaish terror camps in 21-mins well within Pakistan

The IAF action is said to be the first cross-border air strike India has carried out in nearly five decades. The last such action was during the Bangladesh war in 1971.

(Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP/ FILE/ REPRESENTATIONAL)

New Delhi: In what is by any measures a historic first and unprecendented move by the Indian Air Force, 12 IAF Mirage fighter jets flew deep into Pakistan territory to bombard 3 Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps located well inside Pakistan territory. The clinical strikes carried out with utmost precision and efficacy was seen as a retaliatory action taken by India to avenge the Jaish-e-Muhammad attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama that left over 40 of our brave hearts dead, less than two weeks ago.  As per latest reports, heavy damage was inflicted on the Pakisitani side with at least 200 Jaish terrorists dead. The IAF action is said to be the first cross-border air strike India has carried out in nearly five decades. The last such action was during the Bangladesh war in 1971. Here are more details on the nature, timing of the strikes carried out by the IAF -

1. Type of Aircrafts used and survillience system deployed for the operation

Twelve of Indian Air Force multi-role Mirage 2000 fighter jets bombarded joint training camps of Jaish and LeT inside Pakistan and completely destroyed them by shelling a payload of 1,000 kg bombs. IAF had deployed an elaborate support system for these surgical strikes. Surveillance was heightened to thwart any movement by Pakistan' Air Force. Heron drones and early-warning system AWACS were used to keep an eye on any action emanating from Pakistan while mid-air refuellers were also deployed for any emergency use. Total time taken by the IAF to execute the Operation It took approximately 21 minutes to complete the operation. The operation was planned out well using intelligence inputs and the execution of the mission was 100 percent with no casualities on the Indian side. Regions where the aerial strikes were carried out The Indian Air Force carried out strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Muzaffarabad sector and Chakothi in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and near Balakot in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Jaish camps targetted and destroyed in IAF strikes Balakot: 3:48 am - 3:55 am Mirage 2000 jets hit Balakot based Jaish terror camp,24 KM northwest of Muzaffarabad at 3:45 am and the strike went on till 3:53 am. Striking Balakot is of great significance to the IAF because it not only crossed the LoC (Line of Actual Control), they crossed the entire Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and then hit the target inside Khyber Pakhtukhwa. IAF has hit targets inside Pakistan after many decades. The Balakot camp was also the biggest Jaish camp operating out of Pakistan. Muzaffarabad: 3:48 am - 3:55 am Chakothi: 3:58 am - 4:04 am Prime Minister Narendra Modi later chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security which was attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.