The Balakot Strike

The Balakot Strike refers to a military operation carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on February 26, 2019. The operation targeted alleged terrorist training camps in Balakot, a town in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The strike came in response to a suicide bombing carried out by the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14, 2019, which resulted in the deaths of 40 Indian security personnel.

The Pulwama attack was one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in the region in decades and sparked outrage and demands for retaliation in India. The Indian government held JeM responsible for the attack and vowed to take action against the group and its supporters.

In the early hours of February 26, 2019, Indian fighter jets, including Mirage 2000 aircraft, crossed the Line of Control (LoC), which separates Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and struck what India claimed were JeM terrorist training camps in Balakot. The operation was conducted with precision-guided munitions, and the Indian government claimed that a large number of terrorists were killed in the strike.

Pakistan, however, disputed India's claims, stating that the Indian jets were intercepted and forced to retreat after dropping their payloads in open areas. Pakistan also denied that any terrorist training camps existed in the targeted area and accused India of violating its airspace and conducting an act of aggression.

The Balakot Strike escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to a series of aerial engagements between the two countries. On February 27, 2019, Pakistan conducted its own airstrike targeting Indian military installations in Indian-administered Kashmir, resulting in a dogfight between Indian and Pakistani fighter jets. During the aerial engagement, an Indian MiG-21 aircraft was shot down, and its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was captured by Pakistani forces. Varthaman was later released and returned to India as a gesture of goodwill by Pakistan.

The Balakot Strike and its aftermath raised concerns about the escalation of conflict between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed neighbors. The international community called for restraint and urged both countries to engage in dialogue to de-escalate tensions and address the root causes of the conflict.