Pakistan accuses India of airstrikes in disputed area

The scene of the airstrike in the disputed Kashmir region. Photo: AFP

On February 26, Pakistani military spokesman General Asif Ghafoor said, “The Indian Air Force violated the Line of Control. The Pakistan Air Force was immediately scrambled. And the Indian aircraft left.”

According to Mr. Ghafoor, these planes entered the Muzaffarabad area, near Pakistan's disputed Kashmir region.

In response to the Pakistani Air Force, the Indian side “hastily dropped a charge of explosives before fleeing near Balakot. No casualties or damage were reported,” General Ghafoor released photographs showing the impact of the explosives in the forested area.

On the Indian side, the country's authorities said there was an early morning airstrike targeting terrorist sites and completely destroying them.

Indian media also reported that aircraft shot down several targets including camps run by the Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which claimed responsibility for the February 14 bombing.

CNN News 18 quoted a senior government source as saying that there were nearly “200 victims after the airstrike from the Indian side”. While the Indian news agency ANI confirmed that 12 Mirage 200 aircraft attacked the terrorist sites overnight.

It is known that for a long time, India has frequently accused Pakistan of supporting Islamic rebels and insurgencies in the disputed Kashmir region, but Pakistan has always denied this.

The February 14 attack has sparked outrage in India and calls for revenge, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi under pressure from the public and many commentators to mount a tough response to Pakistan.

For its part, Pakistan also accused India in return and threatened to retaliate against the sanctions that India imposed on the country.