Indian jets strike in Pakistan in severe escalation of tensions between the nuclear rivals
India’s foreign secretary, Vijay Gokhale, told reporters that the strike caused a “large number” of casualties at a Jaish-e-Muhammad training camp. He said the strike was based on “credible intelligence” that the group was planning further attacks.The strike took place near the town of Balakot, just inside the Pakistani province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and not in the disputed Kashmir region.
Still, the current clash appears unlikely to intensify, at least for now. India emphasized that it had not struck any Pakistani military targets and called the strike a “preemptive action” specifically aimed at Jaish-e-Muhammad. Gokhale, the foreign secretary, said that the selection of target — on a thickly forested hillside — was “conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties.” He said the camp was headed by the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, the leader of Jaish-e-Muhammad.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting and sheltering militants who fight against Indian rule in Kashmir and launch attacks elsewhere in India. Pakistan denies the charges, but its intelligence services have long links to such militant groups.
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