BJP chief Amit Shah claims over 250 terrorists killed in Balakot airstrike

Bharatiya Janata Party president and Rajya Sabha member Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that more than 250 terrorists were killed in the Indian Air Force’s strike in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26. The BJP chief said that India became only the third country in the world after the US and Israel to avenge attacks on its security forces.

“After the Uri attack, the army did a surgical strike. After the Pulwama attack, people said there could not be a surgical strike due to the high level of alertness. But on the 13th day, the Narendra Modi government carried out an airstrike, and more than 250 terrorists were killed without suffering any losses,” Shah said while speaking at an event in Ahemdabad.

This is the first time that a top government leader has come out with the exact number. Neither the Indian Air Force nor the Union Secretary has so far given the exact number of causalities in the Balakot air strike.

Shah also hailed the Narendra Modi government for the early release of Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after his jet got down during a dogfight with Pakistan Air Force fighter planes.

“When (Wing Commander) Abhinandan Varthaman was caught, they (Opposition) started again. But the Narendra Modi government’s impact was such that for the first time in the world, a PoW was released in such a short time… Abhinandan was released within 48 hours,” he said.

The Indian Air Force on February 26 had conducted air strike on a JeM terrorist camp in Pakistan’s Balakot to avenge the Pulwama attack in which over 40 CRPF personnel were killed. It was the first time in more than a decade that Indian jets had crossed the LoC to strike against Pakistan.