Balakot airstrikes featured in Indian Air Force's calendar for the year 2020

The Indian Air Force came out with its official calendar for the year 2020 which depicted the Balakot airstrikes carried out by the Indian Air force back in 2019. The calender's image for the month of February depicted the Mirage-2000 fighter jets using its Spice-2000 bombs on Pakistan's training camp in Balakot. The aerial strikes were carried out by India on February 26, 2019, as a befitting reply to the Pulwama terror attack that had left around 40 of our jawans martyred. 

Read: 2019 Highlights Part 1: From IAF's Balakot Blitz to 'Howdy, Modi', here's a look back

Read: EXCLUSIVE: 'Indian citizens realised that the Indian government can give a befitting reply too,' says Amit Shah on IAF's Balakot air strike and national security

Balakot Air Strikes

Days after the Pulwama terror attack that shook our nation, India on February 26, pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Balakot, Pakistan by carrying out airstrikes. In a pinpointed and swift airstrike that lasted less than two minutes, officials stated that the strike targeted 350 terrorists and trainers. This "preemptive and non-military" action by India was seen as a result of strong leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had on February 15 had said 'those responsible will pay a very heavy price' and 'security forces will be given a free hand to deal with terrorists.'

Read: Balakot msg was to tell Pak there will be cost for terror attacks:Former Air Chief Marshal

Pulwama Terror Attack 

On February 14, an explosives-laden truck rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama outside Srinagar, killing 40 soldiers in one of the biggest terror attacks in recent years. "Security forces have been given complete freedom, the blood of the people is boiling...Our neighboring country, which has been isolated internationally, thinks such terror attacks can destabilize us, but their plans will not materialize," Modi had said after the Pulwama terror attack.

Read: Congress absolves Pak of Pulwama attack, jumps to give religious spin on J&K DySP's arrest