As India strikes Pakistan and decimates Jaish terror camps, here's all you need to know about the targets

After 12 days following the Pulwama attack, 12 Mirage 2000 jets of the Indian Air Force hit 3 alpha control rooms of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan, sources told Republic TV. The Jaish-e-Mohammad camps that have been targeted are in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakothi.

Here is why the targets are significant:

BALAKOT:

Balakot is the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror training centre making it the nerve centre to radicalise and enable terrorists.  In fact, Jaish-e-Mohammad's first training camp was set up at Balakot in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan by the organisation's founder Masood Azhar and Pakistan.

The Jaish-e-Muhammad terror camp in Maddarsah Syed Ahmed Shaheed in Balakot was made operational for military grade training for jihadi terrorists after indoctrination. A strike on this camp by the Indian Air Force is massive.

CHAKOTHI:  

Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps in Chakothi have been hit by the Indian Air Force. This is a post that is in close proximity to the Indian border and could have been used to recce on India using installations by the JeM-Pakistan Army combine. An air strike here could put an end to attempts of the Jaish to infiltrate into India via this corridor.

MUZAFFARABAD:  

Alpha rooms of the Jaish-e-Mohammad have been hit in Muzaffarabad by the Indian Air Force. Muzaffarabad is the very region where the Jaish-e-Mohammad was openly organising rallies in 2014 and Masood Azhar was giving phone addresses clearing indicating it was key playing field for Jaish terrorists.

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Map of the area which were targeted for the strike:

Here's what else is known:

As per sources, it was the Indian Air Force's Mirage-2000 fighter jets, 12 in number, that participated in the operation. The operation involved dropping 1000 kg payloads on terror camps. Alpha 3 control rooms of the Jaish-e-Mohammed were also destroyed in the operation. The strike involved a low-fly run by the Indian Air Force's fighters.

The strike on Pakistani terror launchpads comes just short of two weeks after the heinous Pulwama terror attack in which a suicide bomber in an explosives-laden car targeted a CRPF convoy. 40 CRPF jawans were martyred in the attack for which the Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility shortly afterward.

In the days following the attack, the Indian government, including the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, have made clear that the Armed Forces had been given a free rein to avenge the attack. 

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