New Delhi, March 5: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday clarified on the airstrikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camps in Pakistan's Balakot and said there is no relationship between the airstrike and elections. Sitharaman said that the strikes were 'not a military action' but were based upon intelligence inputs on terrorist activities in Pakistan which were to be unleashed against India. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa Says Can't Count How Many Died In IAF Strike in Balakot.

Adding further, Sitharaman said that the government's stand is that there is no official death toll in the airstrikes conducted by the IAF which  targeted a training facility of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan on February 26. The Defence Minister told reporters that Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had not given any casualty figure in the airstrike and his statement was the government's stand.

The JeM had claimed the responsibility of the suicide attack in Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14, in which over 40 CRPF jawans were martyred. However, a terrorist death count of 300 floated around but there was no official confirmation. Moreover, the Air Force too refused to give any figures. Surgical Strike 2: Indian Air Force Strikes JeM Camps in Pakistan Days After Pulwama Attack, Pak Officials Cry Intrusion.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale confirmed the airstikes by IAF on JeM hideout terror camps in Pakistani territories of Balakot, Chakothi and Muzaffarabad. Balakot is believed to be the biggest JeM hideout in Pakistan. He said a large number of terrorists were killed. IAF Puts All Air Defence Systems on High Alert After Striking Terror Camps Across LoC.

A total of 12 IAF Mirage-2000 jets crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday and destroyed terror camps of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot. The air strike, also termed as surgical strikes 2.0, came a fortnight after a terror attack on CRPF soldiers in Pulwama. A day after the IAF airstrike, AF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan after his MiG-21 fighter was shot down. The IAF pilot returned to India after two days in Pakistani captivity.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 05, 2019 03:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).