PM Modi appoints Balakot Air Strike planner Samant Goel as R&AW chief and Kashmir expert Arvind Kumar as IB chief

PM Modi appointed Balakot Air Strike planner, Samant Goel as new Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief and Kashmir expert Arvind Kumar as Director of Intelligence Bureau. 

As chairman of Appointments Committee of Cabinet, PM Modi appointed Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of 1984 batch as he of two spy ncies. 

Goel played a significant role in leing Balakot Air Strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit deep within Pakistan in February 2019, as well as surgical strikes conducted in 2016 following terror attack on Uri base. 

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Meanwhile, Kumar, appointed as IB chief has been looking closely into combating left-wing extremism and has been an expert on Kashmir at intelligence ncy

A few days earlier it was kwn that Balakot airstrike was code named as ‘Operation Bandar (Monkey)’, to maintain secrecy.

"In order to maintain secrecy and ensure that plans don't leak out, Balakot operations were given codename Operation Bandar," senior defence sources said.

Without detailing any specific reason behind name, sources said monkeys have always held a special place in India's war culture as seen in epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama's lieutenant Lord Hanuman quietly sneaked into Lanka and destroyed entire capital city of demon Ravana.

On February 26, 12 Mirs having taken off from multiple air bases crossed over into Pakistani air and carried out missile attacks on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot town of Khyber Pakhtunwa province.

attacks were carried out at 3.30 AM and within a few minutes after dropping bombs on ir designated targets, Indian Air Force planes returned to ir bases. aircraft used in attack belonged to 7 and 9 squrons of Indian Air Force and included n-upgred planes as upgred Mirs of 1 squron did t have air to ground strike capability at that moment.

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