New Delhi: It has now been six years since favouring the Balakot airstrike, an uncommonly critical occasion in India’s counterinsurgency activity. The Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots on 26 February 2019 made a precision strike on key terror camps in Pakistan, which has since been a tale this nation remembers, celebrating the courage and aggressiveness of its armed forces.
Pulwama Attack and India’s Counter Response
Pulwama attack: A Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bombing on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on 14 February 2019. In this attack, 40 Indian soldiers were killed, and in retaliation, India took strong action. On 26 February, twelve days later, the IAF responded by bombing Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Balakot, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.
The Heroes Behind the Mission
A credit to the operation is attributable to the squadron of Mirage-2000 fighter jets that destroyed terror hideouts with 1,000 kg of explosives. That 21-minute mission made it clear to the world what India’s mood was in dealing with terrorism.
Five IAF pilots were retrospectively awarded on 15 August 2019 for the role they played in the airstrike. Though it was Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was awarded the Vir Chakra for downing a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet in the subsequent dogfight, these five officers were also decorated for their valour:
Wing Commander Amit Ranjan
Squadron Leader Rahul Basoya
Group Captain Pankaj BhujadeRead More
Squadron Leader BKN Reddy
Shashank Singh, Squadron Leader
ONE OF THE PILLARS OF OPERATION IN THE DEFENCE OF INDIA
IAF Mirage-2000 strikes Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Balakot at around 3:30 AM on 26 February 2019, crossing LoC in 12 numbers. The operation—said to have neutralised around 300 terrorists—showcased both India’s advanced military capabilities and its resolve to take any steps necessary for national security.
The Balakot airstrike is one of the most important events in the history of the Indian armed forces in recent times that sent the message to the world that India has the guts to respond to terrorism. The advent of this operation that we carried out led to the birth of precision at the Indian Air Force and stands as an inspiration to generations, as the country celebrates six years of this historic mission.