Rahul Gandhi salutes IAF pilots after strikes on terror camps across LoC

Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted that he saluted the pilots of the Indian Air Force after India reportedly carried out air strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control, twelve days after the suicide attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. Official confirmation of the pre-dawn strikes had not yet come when he posted.

Reports of the strike

News agency ANI reported that 12 Mirage 2000 jets dropped about 1000 kg of laser-guided bombs on what was described as a training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed, which had claimed the Pulwama attack. Sources told NDTV the strikes were “100 percent successful” and went as planned.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted that, if true, this was no small strike, but said he would wait for official word.

Background

On February 14, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden van into a 78-vehicle CRPF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, killing forty CRPF personnel. Amid public anger, the government had promised action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the sacrifice of the jawans would not go in vain, and Union Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted that the terrorists would be taught a lesson.

India has also moved to isolate Pakistan diplomatically, withdrawing its Most Favoured Nation status and imposing customs duties of 200 percent on goods from across the border.

What happened next

The Balakot strike took place on 26 February 2019, and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was returned by Pakistan on 1 March 2019.

See also: Indian National Congress.

Originally published on 26 February 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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