Picture : Twitter / ANI
Former Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa has said that bombing of Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot by Indian Air Force marks a paradigm shift in the way India conduct operations.
Exactly a year ago India carried out air-strike at a terror camp in Balakot. “One year has gone past and we look back with satisfaction. We have learned a lot of lessons, lot of things have been implemented post-Balakot operations. Basically, it is a paradigm shift in the way we conduct our operations. The other side never believed that we could carry out a strike inside Pakistan to take out terror training camp which we successfully executed. It is a paradigm shift and the result is there for you to see,” said Dhanoa.
He pointed out that after air-strike there were no major terrorist attacks during the Lok Sabha polls because it acted as a deterrent. He said the mission has not been declassified yet.
“All that I want to tell you is when the government told us and all three services were there, and because it is not only the Air Force… It is always a joint battle. It is the first time I believe that all three services said that should there be an escalation as far as Pakistan is concerned, we can easily take them on,” he said.
“And go-ahead was given and thereafter everybody knew that the IAF was going to lead the strike. After the mission was carried out, I personally informed the national leadership as well as the other two service chiefs that mission has been successful early in the morning,” said Dhanoa.
Meanwhile ,Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the first anniversary of the Balakot air strike said India’s approach in dealing with terrorism has undergone a major change as its armed forces now do not hesitate to cross the border to protect the country against the menace.
A fleet of Indian Air Force aircraft had bombed a terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26 last year to avenge the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14.
“I thank the Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for bringing change in India’s approach against terrorism & our ways to counter terror. “The Surgical Strikes of 2016 and Balakote Air Strikes of 2019 are testimony to this change. This is certainly a New and Confident India in making,” Singh said in a series of tweets.
India today celebrates the first anniversary of Balakote airstrikes. It was a successful counter terror operation launched by the fearless @IAF_MCC air warriors.
With the success of Balakote air strikes India has clearly demonstrated its strong will against terrorism.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 26, 2020
