'Ghus Kar Maarenge': Message From Balakot Airstrike, Says Former IAF Chief BS Dhanoa

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday congratulated the Indian Force for successful counter terror operation during Balakot airstrike. The airstrike, when Indian fighter jets entered deep inside Pakistan and bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps marks its first anniversary today. In a tweet, Singh wrote: "India today celebrates the first anniversary of Balakote airstrikes. It was a successful counter terror operation launched by the fearless IAF air warriors. With the success of Balakote air strikes India has clearly demonstrated its strong will against terrorism."

Former Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa while commenting aon the anniversary said, “One year has gone past and we look back with satisfaction. We have learnt a lot of lessons, a lot of things have been implemented after Balakot operations. Basically, it's a paradigm shift in the way we conduct our operations. The other side never believed that we could carry out a strike inside Pakistan to take out a terror training camp that we successfully carried out.”

“The message that we wanted to give was, ‘ghus kar maarenge’ no matter where you are. Otherwise, we could have attacked them from our territory as well,” Dhanoa added.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, to commemorate the anniversary will today visit a front-line base in Kashmir that launched fighter planes last February. Bhadauria will visit the air force’s Srinagar-based No 51 squadron, and interact with personnel who were involved in the action against Pakistan, according to media reports.

The Balakot strikes took place after on February 14, at least 42 CRPF personnel were killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 30 kg of explosives into their bus.

More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in South Kashmir.

On February 26, Indian fighter jets entered deep inside Pakistan and bombed JeM terror camps in Balakot. The air strike was followed by an aerial combat between air forces of the two countries on February 27 when Pakistan jets entered India. While chasing Pakistani jet an Indian Air Force jet crashed in Pakistan occupied Kashmir following which its injured pilot was captured.