Not just Balakot, R&AW had codified 30 other terror camps close to army installations in Pak

New Delhi, Mar 07: As the agencies assess the damage caused in the Balakot air strike, survelliance by the National Technical Research Organisation has indicated that there were 300 mobile phones active at the facility.

Technology today has come a long way and has ensured that concrete details are made available following such operations. However back in 1996-67 in the absence of agencies such as the NTRO, the intelligence agencies found it hard to codify or map such facilities.

It was no easy job for us back then explained former Research and Analysis Wing officer, Amar Bhushan. Apart from Balakot, we had codified 30 similar camps, all of which were located near army installations in Pakistan. We had managed to piece together all the information regarding these camps and more importantly we were able to show them on maps.

This list was then circulated to agencies across the world and none denied the information. Those were the times, when the problem of terrorism had not hit the European nations as yet. They always felt that it was an internal issue. They would cite their domestic laws and say that they would get involved only if an organisation hurt their domestic security interests says Amar Bhushan.

However post 9/11 everything changed. The first codified terrorist list prepared by us was taken more seriously and the problem of terrorism was widely recognised.

On the NTRO data of 300 mobiles being active in Balakot, Bhushan says that it has high capability interception tools. If they say they heard 300 mobiles, it may not be precisely in the Balakot facility, but around it as well.

However the issue is not how many were killed. It is not about tree or flower pot damage. The issue is that that we have identified and hit them. We have gone inside and hit them. The evidence is not about the bodies, Amar Bhushan also says.