It has been more than two weeks when India’s air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, since then the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is on complete operational alert with the whole troop of F-16 fighters deployed along its eastern front also as independent American satellite images with the Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed straight hits on the camp, top defence, government officials said on condition of secrecy.
Pakistan Deploys Entire F-16 Squadron on Indian Border – Report
As per them, even though Pakistani air space limits remain along the country’s borders with India, the Rawalpindi headquartered 10 Corps also with a Special Forces taskforce from Sialkot of the Pakistan Army have been positioned all along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
An official said while mentioning to India’s 2016 counter strike on terror set ups within Pakistan after the terror strike on Uri was held which was also conducted by JeM. He said, “We have confirmed reports that PAF’s F-16 acquired from both US and Jordan are on high alert all along India-Pak border—from Hyderabad in Sindh to Skardu in Northern Areas. The Pak Army deployment including radars and air defence system along the LoC was strengthened immediately after the February 14 Pulwama attack as they expected Indian retaliation similar to that of the surgical strike”.
The officials said that the Pakistan’s instant response to the February 26 strike was to strengthen shelling on that day itself. As per the collected information, the Pakistan Army targeted various areas such as Sunderbani, Naushera, Poonch, Bhimber Gali and Krishnaghati sectors frequently by means of heavy mortars and 120 mm artillery guns after the air strike.
According to the data retrieved, it shows that there were about 19 ceasefire violations on February 26, 16 on the day PAF strike back and on 28 February 2019. From the past two months, there have been a total number of 467 ceasefire violations. While, in the year 2017, there have been 971 violations and the number quickly increased to 2140 in the year 2018.
As per the Senior South Block officials who said that the Pakistan Director General Military Operations (DGMO) did not pick up the routine Tuesday telephone call on February 26 from his Indian counterpart. The Indian DGMO ineffectively tried to call his Pakistani counterpart the next day also after Islamabad intensely blamed India of launching nine missiles.
The initial DGMO level discussion took place only on March 5 with the Pakistan DGMO asking for reduction along the LoC as the Indian side had responded in equivalent extent to cross-LoC firing. Since then, there has been stillness in cross-LoC firing.
The officials did not make available information of the Indian positioning along the LoC but said that the Indian military is also not taking any odds and is prepared to reply to any emergency or requirement.
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