New Delhi: A crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was held on Tuesday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, after Pakistan claimed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and returned after dropping a payload in Pakistan.
The meeting, chaired by PM Modi, was attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval apart from other government officials.
The crucial meeting comes after Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asif Ghafoor confirmed in a tweet early Tuesday that the IAF planes dropped the payload near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before leaving in haste as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled its war planes.
Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzafarabad sector. Facing timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force released payload in haste while escaping which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
Payload of hastily escaping Indian aircrafts fell in open. pic.twitter.com/8drYtNGMsm
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
Indian aircrafts’ intrusion across LOC in Muzafarabad Sector within AJ&K was 3-4 miles.Under forced hasty withdrawal aircrafts released payload which had free fall in open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties. Technical details and other important information to follow.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019
Radio Pakistan alleged that the incident took place in the Muzaffarabad sector.
The air strikes by IAF on Tuesday come roughly after 13 days of Pulwama attack in which over 40 CRPF jawans were killed. While it is being suspected that around 200-300 casualties have been caused in Balakot due to the IAF’s airstrike, the report is yet to be officially confirmed.
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