New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday claimed that he had informed Pakistan about the 2019 Balakot airstrikes before announcing it to the world.
Addressing a poll at Bagalkot in Karnataka, he said that “Modi does not believe in attacking from behind and fights openly face to face”.
The Prime Minister said, “I had asked the armed forces to call the media and inform them, but I said earlier that I will inform Pakistan on phone about night airstrikes and the destruction caused, but the people of Pakistan did not come to the phone. So I asked the armed forces to wait, and after I informed them, we later announced to the world about the air strikes that took place during the night.”
Prime Minister Modi added that “Modi neither hides things nor attacks from hiding and does things openly.”
PM Modi reveals how people confused 'Balakot Airstrike' with Bagalkot#shorts#shortvideospic.twitter.com/e4AfAMtIWN
—BJP Tripura (@BJP4Tripura) April 30, 2024
He also warned those who are trying to kill innocent people in the country and said, “This is Naya Bharat (New India). Ghar me ghuskar ke maarega (will kill within one's (enemy's) territory).
He also said that when India carried out airstrikes in Pakistan, many people initially thought they were being carried out in Bagalkot, the similar-sounding district of Karnataka.
“We then held a press conference and released information about the destruction caused by the enemies after the attacks,” he told the meeting.
Campaigning in Bagalkote… The mood in Karnataka is clearly in favor of the NDA.https://t.co/nvO29bXvEq
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2024
Indian fighter jets attacked a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot on February 26, 2019, in response to the Pulwama terror attack.
What India said after the Balakot strikes
After the Balakot attacks, India had said that a “very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadists” were killed during the night operation.
They were trained for 'fidayeen' action and the Balakot facility was headed by Maulana Yusuf Azhar alias Ustad Ghauri, brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement.
“Credible information was received that JeM was attempting to carry out another suicide terror attack in various parts of the country and the Five Day Jihadists were trained for this purpose. Faced with imminent danger, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary,” the statement said.
“This non-military preventive action specifically targeted the JeM camp. The selection of the target was also determined by our desire to avoid civilian casualties. The facility is located in a dense forest on a hilltop, far from any civilian presence.” the statement added.