As stage is set for the homecoming of the nation's hero IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan, the daily Retreat Ceremony held at the Attari border front along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab was cancelled for Friday in view of his release by Pakistan at this frontier. Entire nation waits eagerly for the 'brave-heart's' homecoming.
Former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag took to Twitter to salute IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan as he wrote,” How proud we are to have you ! Bow down to your skills and even more your grit and courage #WelcomeBackAbhinandan . We love you and are filled with pride because of you.”
The Indian Air Force carried out an air strike in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the early hours of Tuesday morning that according to sources killed around 200-300 terrorists.
The attacks, being treated as India’s direct response to the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 that killed more than 40 Indian soldiers, destroyed terrors base camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot, Chakoti and Muzaffarabad.
The Indian Air Force dropped more than 1000 kgs of bombs in the Balakot and Chamoli region, some 88 km inside LoC using Mirage 2000 fighter jets. The extent of the damage inflicted on the ground is not immediately known.
Notably, both Sehwag and Gambhir were one of the firsts to condemn the dastardly Pulwama terror attacks. The former Indian openers had also demanded strong action by the Indian government and defence forces. Sehwag had even offered free education for the children of the martyrs in his Sehwag International School.