The Indian authorities may not have put out any figure of likely casualties in the Balakot air strikes but BJP president has claimed that “250 terrorists were killed” in the Indian Air Force operation.
“After the Pulwama attack, when everyone thought surgical strike can't be done this time… now what will happen?... At that time Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government undertook an air strike on the 13th day and killed more than 250 terrorists without any harm to our side,” the ruling party chief reportedly said in what appears to be the first statement from the ruling party regarding casualties.
Mr. Shah made the claim while addressing a function of Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) in Ahmedabad on Sunday late evening.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr. Shah also slammed opposition parties for raising doubts on any damage or actual casualties that may have been inflicted by the India’s air mission on the neighbouring country.
“Opposition party leaders should remain shut if they cannot appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for first conducting surgical strike on Pakistan in 2016 and now conducting air strike on Pakistan.”
He added that statements made by several leaders of the opposition parties questioning the success of air strike has “brought smile on the face of Pakistan people.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the country understand what zero tolerance for terror meant by ordering the surgical strike and air strike on Pakistan,” he said.
The air strike, described by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as a pre-emptive non-military action against Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)’s camps in Balakot, was conducted in the early hours of February 26.
The authorities including the External Affairs Ministry and the Air Force have repeatedly stressed that “targets were successfully hit” while refusing to share details regarding casualties.
Following the air strike, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had told the press in a statement that “a large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated.”