Adding a new twist to the Balakot airstrike on the biggest Jaish-e-Muhammad training camp in Pakistan, Italian journalist Francesca Marino has confirmed that the Indian Air Force did kill 130-170 terrorists.
In a detailed report, Marino accused Pakistan of lying about the attacks. Pakistan had earlier denied deaths or damage to properties. Pakistan had earlier claimed that India had bombed a vacant area in the hills of Balakot while India Air Force had stated that they destroyed the JeM training camp.
"Despite Pakistan's efforts to deceive the world on the Indian airstrikes on the Jaish-e-Muhammad camp, small details of what happened in Balakot in the wee hours of February 26 and thereafter have kept trickling in from my source," Marino wrote, reports India Today.
India had conducted the surgical strike during the early hours of February 26. The airstrike took place a week after the Pulwama attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in which over 40 CRPF jawans were killed. JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Marino further explained in her report that two hours after the Balakot attack, a unit of the Pakistan Army, which was stationed nearby, examined the damage and transported the injured to the Harkar-ul-Mujahideen camp in Shinkiari. The injured were reportedly treated by Pakistan Army doctors.
"The numbers estimated have ranged from 130-170, including those who have died during treatment. Those killed included 11 trainers, ranging from bomb makers to those imparting weapons training," Marino said.
Around 45 terrorists were treated by Pakistan and are still undergoing treatment. Around 20 died during treatment.
The training camp is now reportedly under the control of the Pakistan Army. Marino reveals that, according to her sources, JeM leaders visited families of the terrorists killed in the attack and offered money in exchange for not talking about the incident.
