The Balakot strike: India now sets the deadline for Pakistan

New Delhi, Feb 26: The hit at Balakot shook Pakistan and what India managed to do was send out a loud and clear message.

The decision to carry out a precision strike at Balakot, which houses the training facility of the Jaish-e-Mohammad was taken post the Pulwama attack. At Pulwama, a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into a CRPF convoy as a result of which 40 jawans were martyred.

Pakistan had not learnt its lesson post the surgical strikes, which were carried out to avenge the Uri attack.

On the Balakot strike, former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, C D Sahay said that it was a message to Pakistan. It was established, who sets the deadline. It is India which sets the deadline, Sahay said.

Sources say that the targets that were hit included the training complex, a seminary and two halls that accommodated the terrorists. While the Research and Analysis Wing had mapped the entire Balakot facility several years back, the IAF went in for a precision strike. The intent was to hit the selected four targets, the source added.

By March 2, 2019, India had gathered sufficient evidence that suggested the targets identified at the Balakot facility had been hit as intended. Evidence in the form of satellite imagery had been collected, which clearly suggested that the buildings that were identified had been hit. Further, it was said that the buildings were hit by 5 S-2000 precision-guided munition that were fired from the Mirage 2000.

The evidence that was collected is under the classified category and it was entirely up to the government whether or not to release the information. India collected evidence in the form of Synthetic Aperture Radar, which suggested that the four buildings that were selected as targets were hit.