India struck biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot, Pakistan : Foreign Secretary

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Foreign Secretary Vijay K Gokhale on February 26, 2019, said that in an intelligence led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot in Pakistan. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis, who were being trained for fidayeen action, were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar alias Ustan Ghouri, brother-in-law of Masood Azhar,  the Chief of JeM, Gokhale said.

The Government of India is firmly and resolutely committed to taking all necessary measures to fight the menace of terrorism. Hence this non-military preemptive action was specifically targeted at the JeM camp, Gokhale said. The selection of the target was also conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties, he said adding the facility is located in thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence. As the strike has taken place only a short while ago, we are awaiting further details, he added.

Gokhale said the Government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India. We expect that Pakistan lives up to its public commitment and takes follow up actions to dismantle all JeM and other camps and hold the terrorists accountable for the actions.

On February 14, 2019, a suicide terror attack was conducted by a Pak based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad leading to the martyrdom of 40 brave jawans of the CRPF, Gokhale said and added the JeM has been active in Pakistan for the last two decades and is led by Masood Azhar with its headquarters in Bahawalpur, the Foreign Secretary said. This organization, which is proscribed by the UN, has been responsible of a series of terrorist attacks including on the Indian Parliament in December 2001 and the Pathankot airbase in January 2016, he said.

Information regarding the location of training camps in Pakistan and PoJK has been provided to Pakistan from time to time, Gokhale said. Pakistan, however, denies their existence. The existence of such massive training facilities capable of training hundreds of jihadis could not have functioned without the knowledge of Pakistan authorities, he added. India has been repeatedly urging Pakistan to take action against the JeM to prevent jihadis from being trained and armed inside Pakistan but it has taken no concrete actions to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil, the Foreign Secretary said.

Gokhale said that credible intelligence was received that JeM was attempting another suicide terror attack in various parts of the country and the fidayeen jihadis were being trained for this purpose. In the face of imminent danger, a preemptive strike became absolutely necessary, he said, according to a PIB release