At least 325 terrorists and 25 to 27 trainers were at the targetted camp, the biggest operated by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group, which had claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir that killed 40 jawans.
The brother of martyred CRPF jawan Vijay Maurya said he is happy that the IAF carried out strikes against terror camps in Pakistan and that India should maintain its pressure on the neighbouring country.
"We are very happy that this has happened. But we want pressure on Pakistan be kept up so that no terrorist organisation like Jaish-e-Mohammed dares to attack us again," he said.
The Father of martyred CRPF jawan Ajay Kumar hailed the IAF for the strikes but said this should have happened a long ago. "Feeling really good. How long will we continue to sacrifice? This should have happened a long time ago," he said.
The pre-dawn operation, described as "non-military" and "preemptive", struck a five-star resort style camp on a hilltop forest that provided Indian forces with a "sitting duck target" and caught the terrorists in their sleep, sources said.
"I want to assure the people that the country is in safe hands. There is nothing above the nation," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a public rally in Churu, Rajasthan, in his first remarks after the strike. He, however, did not make a direct reference to the attack or give any details.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told the media the "intelligence-led operation" on the Pakistan-based terror group's biggest training camp in Balakot became "absolutely necessary" as it was planning more suicide attacks in India