New Delhi, March 3: Amid growing pressure to show the damage caused by Indian Air Force's (IAF) precision air strike in Balakot, Union Minister S S Ahluwalia has said that the operation was not meant to cause human casualty but to send out the message that India is capable of hitting deep inside enemy lines. Ahluwalia also rejected source-based reports that claimed around 300 terrorists were killed in the IAF air strike.

Ahluwalia said neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor any government spokesperson had given any figure on the casualty. "I have seen reports in Indian media and international media and also what Modi ji had said. After the air strike, there was a rally by Modi ji and he didn’t say anything on the casualty figures. I want to ask if Modi ji, or any government spokesperson, or our party president Amit Shah has given any figures?” he asked reporters in Siliguri on Saturday. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's Last Radio Message Before Ejecting Out of MiG-21 Was About Firing Missile at Pakistan's F-16 Jet.

The minister of state for electronics and information technology further said India didn't want any human casualty but wanted to send out a message that India can target Pakistan’s own backyard if needed. Armed with Ahluwalia's statement, the CPI(M) on its Twitter handle with a question: “Is the Govt now backtracking from its claims that they took out a Terrorist Camp in Pakistan? (sic)”

Reacting to this, Ahluwalia reiterated that neither the government officials nor any minister has given out a figure of the casualties. "I was asked whether I stand by the government’s statement or by the reports of Indian media which have said, 300-350 terrorists, where killed. I stand by the government’s statement. How can I vouch for media reports,” he told news agency PTI.

Nearly 12 days after the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives, the IAF carried out bombing on terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed’s biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan. Masood Azhar Dead? Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Died on March 2, Say Reports.

"In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated," Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhle said on February 26.

Indian armed forces on February 28 said the forces have enough evidence of successfully implementing what they wanted to in bombing a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp. "Whatever we planned, we have got it. It is for the government and top leadership to present evidence. It will be premature to talk about casualties," said Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor in reply to a question as to how many terrorists were killed in Balakot and what was the damage caused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 03, 2019 07:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).