The Indian Air Force said Tuesday that Pakistan did not shoot down one of their Sukhois on the morning of February 27.&nbsp;

Fighter planes of the Indian and Pakistani air forces had engaged in a dogfight on the 27th, a day after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-options-available-if-there-is-another-terrorist-strike-official-sources-201309">India's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot</a> in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.&nbsp;

"On 27 Feb, our air defence system was on full alert," the IAF said in a statement released Tuesday.&nbsp;

It added that the build up of Pakistani aircraft was noticed in time and Indian aircraft scrambled.&nbsp;

The IAF statement said India scrambled Mirage-2000s, Su-30s, and MiG-21 Bisons and that consequently, the "PAF aircraft were forced to withdraw in hurry".&nbsp;

It added that that was "also evident from large missed distances of weapons dropped by them".&nbsp;

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Indian Air Force statement: Detailed report in this regard has already been released by IAF. All the Su-30 aircraft engaged in combat landed back safely. False claim by Pakistan of shooting down a Su-30, appears to be a cover up for loss of its own aircraft. <a href="https://t.co/Ccd04mX53G">https://t.co/Ccd04mX53G</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1102945753062932482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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India lost one MiG-21 that day — the one flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Before he went down, Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16.&nbsp;

Varthaman spent two nights in Pakistani custody before being released as a "peace gesture" but tensions continue to run high between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.&nbsp;

On Monday, India shot down a Pakistani drone. On Tuesday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-says-it-stopped-indian-submarine-from-entering-its-waters-201282">Pakistan said it had stopped an Indian submarine from entering its waters</a>. (India said that was Pakistani propaganda aimed at diverting attention from the issue of terror and its support of it.)&nbsp;

"During combat, use of F-16 by PAF and multiple launches of AMRAAM were conclusively observed," the IAF said Tuesday.&nbsp;

India has taken up Pakistan's use of the F-16s and of the AMRAAM missiles fitted on them with the US. Their use by Pakistan may violate its end-user agreement with the US since the American-supplied jets and missiles are reportedly supposed to be used only in counter-insurgency operations.&nbsp;

The Indian Air Force said Tuesday that Pakistan did not shoot down one of their Sukhois on the morning of February 27. Fighter planes of the Indian and Pakistani air forces had engaged in a dogfight on the 27th, a day after India's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Indian Air Force said Tuesday that Pakistan did not shoot down one of their Sukhois on the morning of February 27. Fighter planes of the Indian and Pakistani air forces had engaged in a dogfight on the 27th, a day after India's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. "On 27 Feb, our air defence system was on full alert," the IAF said in a statement released Tuesday. It added that the build up of Pakistani aircraft was noticed in time and Indian aircraft scrambled. The IAF statement said India scrambled Mirage-2000s, Su-30s, and MiG-21 Bisons and that consequently, the "PAF aircraft were forced to withdraw in hurry". It added that that was "also evident from large missed distances of weapons dropped by them". Indian Air Force statement: Detailed report in this regard has already been released by IAF. All the Su-30 aircraft engaged in combat landed back safely. False claim by Pakistan of shooting down a Su-30, appears to be a cover up for loss of its own aircraft. https://t.co/Ccd04mX53G — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2019 × India lost one MiG-21 that day — the one flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Before he went down, Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16. Varthaman spent two nights in Pakistani custody before being released as a "peace gesture" but tensions continue to run high between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours. On Monday, India shot down a Pakistani drone. On Tuesday, Pakistan said it had stopped an Indian submarine from entering its waters. (India said that was Pakistani propaganda aimed at diverting attention from the issue of terror and its support of it.) "During combat, use of F-16 by PAF and multiple launches of AMRAAM were conclusively observed," the IAF said Tuesday. India has taken up Pakistan's use of the F-16s and of the AMRAAM missiles fitted on them with the US. Their use by Pakistan may violate its end-user agreement with the US since the American-supplied jets and missiles are reportedly supposed to be used only in counter-insurgency operations.

Pakistan did not shoot down one of our Sukhois: India

I would, before advancing to the core arguments of this essay, like to state that I, by and through conscious choice, &nbsp;stay away from and avoid writing on India and Pakistan, their adversarial relationship, the nature of their issues and problems, primarily because of the boringly predictable nature of this particular conflict dyad, its ups and downs, gyrations and various crises. But, this time, I will pen down my thoughts because of the extraordinary nature of the crisis that the two arch antagonists got embroiled into.&nbsp;

The convoluted nature of the relationship is well known but over a period of time, it corresponded to the dynamic of a “no war, no peace” one. That is, neither war nor piece obtained between India and Pakistan. This grey zone held till the Pulwama attacks whose aftermath brought both to the brink of war. Even though it is an inexact parallel but the preceding days till now bore a resemblance, in a different permutation, combination and context to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. This particular crisis occurred after a standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union over the deployment of missiles in Cuba and elsewhere during the Cold War. The tense standoff which lasted thirteen days, and brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, was staved off by deft and astute leadership and statecraft. &nbsp;War was averted and the world moved on.&nbsp;

Fifty-seven years have elapsed since the Cuban Missile Crisis but the lessons still hold with great alacrity and poignancy, especially with respect to relations between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed antagonists who, as the contemporary crisis demonstrates all too eloquently, can bring the South Asian region and, by extension, the world, to war. It does not matter what strategic doctrine governs their nuclear weapons architecture and their use; nor does the fact that there is some disparity in the number of these weapons that each country has, accord relief. If and when there is war between the two, it will be nuclear and it will devastate. This very fact is sobering and should concentrate the minds of powers that be across the fault line and divide.&nbsp;

I will make a bit of a digression here and dwell on the nature of war with a personal anecdote. In the late nineties, when I was twenty-something, after my clumsy and amateur reading of Von Clausewitz, the Prussian theorist of war, I blurted out his dictum that, “War is a continuation of politics by other means” to my inimitable Australian mentor. &nbsp;The sagacious man replied that “all war is bad politics”. While I could not entirely grasp the thrust of what my mentor had said but I understand and realise it all too clearly now.

While the nature of war has changed radically over the years and there is no such thing as “total war” now but its potency and destructive capacity has increased manifold. This accrues from nuclear weapons and their delivery systems, among other things. Yes, there are deterrence paradigms and mechanisms in place whose logic suggests that there are both real and implied red lines that might not be crossed in the event of crises but deterrence, at the end of the day, is a human construct. Being fallible and emotional, the most robust of these paradigms can break down under moments of intense stress and duress, a condition that may have been arrived at in the standoff between India and Pakistan post-Pulwama.

If things reached such a pass, how, the question is was war averted?

The answer might lie in the nature of international politics and relations. Both India and Pakistan state&nbsp;do not operate in a vacuum; they exist in an international system and structure that is somewhat prone to war but looks askance at it. The sequence of events after Pulwama alarmed the international community enough to lean perhaps both on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and not to cross a certain threshold. Both countries through limited probes or call it if you may, sorties, had made their points which they could present to their respective domestic audiences and they could go back to the dressing rooms, so to speak. But, the international community’s cautions or even warnings of restraint are premised on stability, regional and otherwise, than anything else. From a generic and a rather abstract perspective, the international system and structure, kicked in and leant on India and Pakistan because it prizes and values stability. It is not beholden to any human or humanitarian consideration. Being parts and constituents of this system and structure, India and Pakistan had to yield. But, all things considered and given the nature of the relations between the two countries, the international system’s and community’s caution against war and the hiatus engendered by this is a temporary palliative. War can and might break out between the arch adversaries anytime. What then is the real and lasting antidote to it?

&nbsp;The answer here lies in the elevation and primacy of the political and the diplomatic over military options. Counter-intuitively but fortuitously, an opening of sorts has been provided by the capture of an IAF pilot and the offer of his release by Pakistan. This serendipitous offering must be grabbed head on and then capitalised on. It will or can serve two objectives: in the realm of immediacy, it can defuse the current crisis and help deescalate and it can lead to a dynamic where statecraft and sagacious diplomacy become the operative dynamic between India and Pakistan. But, &nbsp;to be long lasting and for durable peace to hold, &nbsp;both countries must understand the causal loops and linkages that actually bring them to crisis points and then firmly untangle and deal with these. They must forget Clausewitz and take heed to the wise words of my Australian mentor!

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

I would, before advancing to the core arguments of this essay, like to state that I, by and through conscious choice, stay away from and avoid writing on India and Pakistan, their adversarial relationship, the nature of their issues and problems, primarily because of the boringly predictable nature of this particular conflict dyad, its ups and downs, gyrations and various crises.

I would, before advancing to the core arguments of this essay, like to state that I, by and through conscious choice, stay away from and avoid writing on India and Pakistan, their adversarial relationship, the nature of their issues and problems, primarily because of the boringly predictable nature of this particular conflict dyad, its ups and downs, gyrations and various crises. But, this time, I will pen down my thoughts because of the extraordinary nature of the crisis that the two arch antagonists got embroiled into. The convoluted nature of the relationship is well known but over a period of time, it corresponded to the dynamic of a “no war, no peace” one. That is, neither war nor piece obtained between India and Pakistan. This grey zone held till the Pulwama attacks whose aftermath brought both to the brink of war. Even though it is an inexact parallel but the preceding days till now bore a resemblance, in a different permutation, combination and context to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. This particular crisis occurred after a standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union over the deployment of missiles in Cuba and elsewhere during the Cold War. The tense standoff which lasted thirteen days, and brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, was staved off by deft and astute leadership and statecraft. War was averted and the world moved on. Fifty-seven years have elapsed since the Cuban Missile Crisis but the lessons still hold with great alacrity and poignancy, especially with respect to relations between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed antagonists who, as the contemporary crisis demonstrates all too eloquently, can bring the South Asian region and, by extension, the world, to war. It does not matter what strategic doctrine governs their nuclear weapons architecture and their use; nor does the fact that there is some disparity in the number of these weapons that each country has, accord relief. If and when there is war between the two, it will be nuclear and it will devastate. This very fact is sobering and should concentrate the minds of powers that be across the fault line and divide. I will make a bit of a digression here and dwell on the nature of war with a personal anecdote. In the late nineties, when I was twenty-something, after my clumsy and amateur reading of Von Clausewitz, the Prussian theorist of war, I blurted out his dictum that, “War is a continuation of politics by other means” to my inimitable Australian mentor. The sagacious man replied that “all war is bad politics”. While I could not entirely grasp the thrust of what my mentor had said but I understand and realise it all too clearly now. While the nature of war has changed radically over the years and there is no such thing as “total war” now but its potency and destructive capacity has increased manifold. This accrues from nuclear weapons and their delivery systems, among other things. Yes, there are deterrence paradigms and mechanisms in place whose logic suggests that there are both real and implied red lines that might not be crossed in the event of crises but deterrence, at the end of the day, is a human construct. Being fallible and emotional, the most robust of these paradigms can break down under moments of intense stress and duress, a condition that may have been arrived at in the standoff between India and Pakistan post-Pulwama. If things reached such a pass, how, the question is was war averted? The answer might lie in the nature of international politics and relations. Both India and Pakistan state do not operate in a vacuum; they exist in an international system and structure that is somewhat prone to war but looks askance at it. The sequence of events after Pulwama alarmed the international community enough to lean perhaps both on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and not to cross a certain threshold. Both countries through limited probes or call it if you may, sorties, had made their points which they could present to their respective domestic audiences and they could go back to the dressing rooms, so to speak. But, the international community’s cautions or even warnings of restraint are premised on stability, regional and otherwise, than anything else. From a generic and a rather abstract perspective, the international system and structure, kicked in and leant on India and Pakistan because it prizes and values stability. It is not beholden to any human or humanitarian consideration. Being parts and constituents of this system and structure, India and Pakistan had to yield. But, all things considered and given the nature of the relations between the two countries, the international system’s and community’s caution against war and the hiatus engendered by this is a temporary palliative. War can and might break out between the arch adversaries anytime. What then is the real and lasting antidote to it? The answer here lies in the elevation and primacy of the political and the diplomatic over military options. Counter-intuitively but fortuitously, an opening of sorts has been provided by the capture of an IAF pilot and the offer of his release by Pakistan. This serendipitous offering must be grabbed head on and then capitalised on. It will or can serve two objectives: in the realm of immediacy, it can defuse the current crisis and help deescalate and it can lead to a dynamic where statecraft and sagacious diplomacy become the operative dynamic between India and Pakistan. But, to be long lasting and for durable peace to hold, both countries must understand the causal loops and linkages that actually bring them to crisis points and then firmly untangle and deal with these. They must forget Clausewitz and take heed to the wise words of my Australian mentor! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India-Pakistan standoff and the pity of war

Abhinandan's moustache takes internet by storm

IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman reaches India

French govt reiterates solidarity with India, welcomes IAF pilot's release

After three days in custody,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/varthamans-a-mig-21-family-son-flies-it-dad-flew-it-200519">Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman</a> crossed the Wagah-Attari border&nbsp;late on Friday night&nbsp;and entered India amid heavy security.

A large crowd had gathered to welcome Wg Cdr Abhinandan home as tensions at the border abated with the appearence&nbsp;of the Air Force pilot on Friday night.

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Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! 
 
The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. 
 
Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians. 
 
Vande Mataram!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1101521097323958272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Indian Air Force(IAF) pilot was shot down when he was involved in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-india-awaits-pilots-return-beating-the-retreat-ceremony-cancelled-at-wagah-border-200496"> a dogfight with Pakistani jets</a> after it entered Indian airspace on Wednesday. Wg Cdr Abhinandan was apprehended by the Pakistani Army even as India declared that it won't negotiate his release.

Amid heightened&nbsp;tensions over the IAF pilot's fate, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced in the National Assembly that his government would be releasing the Air Force pilot.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/84b-PUc-IR0" width="560"></iframe>

Abhinandan crossed the Wagah-Attari checkpoint&nbsp;at exactly 9:21&nbsp;pm on Friday night as both sides sought to de-escalate tensions&nbsp;at the border. On Tuesday, in a predawn strike India's Mirage 2000 fighter jets had taken down JeM terror camps in Balakot in the &nbsp;the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

The next day on Wednesday, Pakistan Air Force(PAF) jets entered Indian airspace as Indian MiG-21 aircrafts engaged the Pak jets, in the ensuring air battle Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman's MiG-21 Bison was shot down and it fell inside Pak territory.

Just hours after PM Imran Khan announced the release of Wg Cdr Abhinandan, at a joint armed forces press conference held on Thursday, &nbsp;Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor declared that Pakistan had fired the AMRAAM missile from its F-16 fighter jet which was subsequently shot down by Indian MiG-21. The AMRAAM missile debris were presented during the press conference.

"Parts of AMRAAM air-to-air missile, which is carried only on the F-16s in PAF, were recovered east of Rajouri within Indian territory," Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After three days in custody, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman crossed the Wagah-Attari border late on Friday night and entered India amid heavy security. A large crowd had gathered to welcome Wg Cdr Abhinandan home as tensions at the border abated with the appearence of the Air Force pilot on Friday night.

After three days in custody, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman crossed the Wagah-Attari border late on Friday night and entered India amid heavy security. A large crowd had gathered to welcome Wg Cdr Abhinandan home as tensions at the border abated with the appearence of the Air Force pilot on Friday night. Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians. Vande Mataram! — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 1, 2019 × The Indian Air Force(IAF) pilot was shot down when he was involved in a dogfight with Pakistani jets after it entered Indian airspace on Wednesday. Wg Cdr Abhinandan was apprehended by the Pakistani Army even as India declared that it won't negotiate his release. Amid heightened tensions over the IAF pilot's fate, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced in the National Assembly that his government would be releasing the Air Force pilot. Abhinandan crossed the Wagah-Attari checkpoint at exactly 9:21 pm on Friday night as both sides sought to de-escalate tensions at the border. On Tuesday, in a predawn strike India's Mirage 2000 fighter jets had taken down JeM terror camps in Balakot in the the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The next day on Wednesday, Pakistan Air Force(PAF) jets entered Indian airspace as Indian MiG-21 aircrafts engaged the Pak jets, in the ensuring air battle Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman's MiG-21 Bison was shot down and it fell inside Pak territory. Just hours after PM Imran Khan announced the release of Wg Cdr Abhinandan, at a joint armed forces press conference held on Thursday, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor declared that Pakistan had fired the AMRAAM missile from its F-16 fighter jet which was subsequently shot down by Indian MiG-21. The AMRAAM missile debris were presented during the press conference. "Parts of AMRAAM air-to-air missile, which is carried only on the F-16s in PAF, were recovered east of Rajouri within Indian territory," Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor said.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman returns to India from Pakistan

The Indian response to the Pulwama terror attacks, when Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage jets pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps at Balakot (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) Pakistan and probably other JeM camps at Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) causing considerable damage, killing about 300 terrorists including their top Commanders, was carefully calibrated.

The government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India.&nbsp;Since the government of Pakistan failed to honour its commitment and since there was credible evidence that JeM was attempting further suicide attacks in India, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary. &nbsp;

The camp at Balakot has a long history. Ayesha Jalal in her book ‘The Partisans of Allah’ calls it “the point of entry of Jihad and Islamic warriors” in the Indian subcontinent. In the 1830’s, the British allowed Syed Ahmad Shah of Raebareli to gather forces around Balakot to attack the Sikhs who ruled the area. However, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army killed the Wahabis in 1831 and the Jihad against non-Muslims ended in failure. &nbsp;

The present camp was set up during the time of former Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq to train Afghan Mujahideen and organisations like Harkat-ul-Ansar and Hizbul Mujahideen, used this camp till the JeM made it an important centre since 2000.

The Balakot camp is particularly important due to the fact that it runs three terror courses. The Daura-e-Aam is a basic course, which all fresh recruits to terrorism undergo. Those who excel and show potential are admitted into the more advanced Daura-e-Khas. Only the elite terrorists who show a high degree of motivation and willingness to die are sent for the Daura-e-Zarar. Here the syllabus includes attacks on convoys, fidayeen attacks and suicide bombing. &nbsp;

The Balakot camp has been run by the Masood Azhar family since 2000 and his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar was said to be running the camp at present. &nbsp;

Yusuf Azhar is wanted by the CBI as he is one of the seven accused in the IC 814 hijacking case of December 1999. It should be clear that while the tenants in the camps at Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakothi keep changing, the owner has remained the same - Pakistan’s ISI. &nbsp;

Although Pakistan had used trained irregulars to attack Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 and again during Operation Gibraltar in 1965, the use of terrorists to further its interests really took off in the late 1980’s after the success of this policy in Afghanistan. &nbsp;

Since Pakistan has been exporting terror for such a long time and this policy has widespread support within the Pakistan establishment, one surgical strike or another air strike is not going to make it give up this long-standing policy of asymmetric warfare. &nbsp;

Given the support for terrorism within the Pakistani public, the military and intelligence agencies, Islamabad most likely would be unwilling to abandon terrorism as a tool of foreign policy and contend with the emergent terrorist threat ravaging Pakistan and its surrounding region. &nbsp;

Pakistan’s security establishment has a visceral hatred of India and according to Christian Fair in her article ‘The Militant Challenge in Pakistan’ published in Asia Policy magazine (January 2011), the international community should abandon optimism that Pakistan can or will change course and should prepare for increasing Islamist violence in the region and beyond. However, by its airstrike, India has put Pakistan on notice, suggesting that she will not take terrorist attacks lying down and will hit back using various means at its command. &nbsp;

By calling it ‘a non-military pre-emptive action’ India has chosen to calibrate its response and not escalate the situation beyond a point. &nbsp;

While India and the world community have been hoping that Pakistan will eschew terror, there is no evidence that Pakistan is changing course, so far. &nbsp;

Hilary Clinton, then US, Secretary of State during her press conference in Islamabad in October 2011 had famously said, “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbours. You know, eventually these snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.” &nbsp;

Although Pakistan’s tolerance of jihadi terror has had a devastating effect on its own society, polity and economy, yet the army and the ISI who call the shots in Pakistan are not willing to make a U-turn. India will, therefore, have to stay the course and make the cost of terror in India prohibitive to Pakistan. Already Pakistan is a basket case and going to the IMF, China and Saudi Arabia to bail out its economy. It cannot launch a sustained war given its precarious economic condition. &nbsp;

China has also invested very heavily in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and cannot afford that this investment is jeopardised. Its own economy is heavily weighed down by debt and the trade war with the US is hurting it badly. &nbsp;

India must, therefore, be resolute at this moment and act in a carefully calibrated manner to make Pakistan give up the use of terror against it. This is no time for jingoism and even though it is election season, all politicians should remain circumspect and make responsible statements. It is best to let our defence forces speak through their actions. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-a-carefully-calibrated-move-2725112">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

The Indian response to the Pulwama terror attacks, when Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage jets pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps at Balakot (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) Pakistan and probably other JeM camps at Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) causing considerable damage, killing about 300 terrorists including their top Commanders, was carefully calibrated.

The Indian response to the Pulwama terror attacks, when Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage jets pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps at Balakot (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) Pakistan and probably other JeM camps at Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) causing considerable damage, killing about 300 terrorists including their top Commanders, was carefully calibrated. The government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India. Since the government of Pakistan failed to honour its commitment and since there was credible evidence that JeM was attempting further suicide attacks in India, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary. The camp at Balakot has a long history. Ayesha Jalal in her book ‘The Partisans of Allah’ calls it “the point of entry of Jihad and Islamic warriors” in the Indian subcontinent. In the 1830’s, the British allowed Syed Ahmad Shah of Raebareli to gather forces around Balakot to attack the Sikhs who ruled the area. However, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army killed the Wahabis in 1831 and the Jihad against non-Muslims ended in failure. The present camp was set up during the time of former Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq to train Afghan Mujahideen and organisations like Harkat-ul-Ansar and Hizbul Mujahideen, used this camp till the JeM made it an important centre since 2000. The Balakot camp is particularly important due to the fact that it runs three terror courses. The Daura-e-Aam is a basic course, which all fresh recruits to terrorism undergo. Those who excel and show potential are admitted into the more advanced Daura-e-Khas. Only the elite terrorists who show a high degree of motivation and willingness to die are sent for the Daura-e-Zarar. Here the syllabus includes attacks on convoys, fidayeen attacks and suicide bombing. The Balakot camp has been run by the Masood Azhar family since 2000 and his brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar was said to be running the camp at present. Yusuf Azhar is wanted by the CBI as he is one of the seven accused in the IC 814 hijacking case of December 1999. It should be clear that while the tenants in the camps at Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakothi keep changing, the owner has remained the same - Pakistan’s ISI. Although Pakistan had used trained irregulars to attack Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 and again during Operation Gibraltar in 1965, the use of terrorists to further its interests really took off in the late 1980’s after the success of this policy in Afghanistan. Since Pakistan has been exporting terror for such a long time and this policy has widespread support within the Pakistan establishment, one surgical strike or another air strike is not going to make it give up this long-standing policy of asymmetric warfare. Given the support for terrorism within the Pakistani public, the military and intelligence agencies, Islamabad most likely would be unwilling to abandon terrorism as a tool of foreign policy and contend with the emergent terrorist threat ravaging Pakistan and its surrounding region. Pakistan’s security establishment has a visceral hatred of India and according to Christian Fair in her article ‘The Militant Challenge in Pakistan’ published in Asia Policy magazine (January 2011), the international community should abandon optimism that Pakistan can or will change course and should prepare for increasing Islamist violence in the region and beyond. However, by its airstrike, India has put Pakistan on notice, suggesting that she will not take terrorist attacks lying down and will hit back using various means at its command. By calling it ‘a non-military pre-emptive action’ India has chosen to calibrate its response and not escalate the situation beyond a point. While India and the world community have been hoping that Pakistan will eschew terror, there is no evidence that Pakistan is changing course, so far. Hilary Clinton, then US, Secretary of State during her press conference in Islamabad in October 2011 had famously said, “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbours. You know, eventually these snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.” Although Pakistan’s tolerance of jihadi terror has had a devastating effect on its own society, polity and economy, yet the army and the ISI who call the shots in Pakistan are not willing to make a U-turn. India will, therefore, have to stay the course and make the cost of terror in India prohibitive to Pakistan. Already Pakistan is a basket case and going to the IMF, China and Saudi Arabia to bail out its economy. It cannot launch a sustained war given its precarious economic condition. China has also invested very heavily in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and cannot afford that this investment is jeopardised. Its own economy is heavily weighed down by debt and the trade war with the US is hurting it badly. India must, therefore, be resolute at this moment and act in a carefully calibrated manner to make Pakistan give up the use of terror against it. This is no time for jingoism and even though it is election season, all politicians should remain circumspect and make responsible statements. It is best to let our defence forces speak through their actions. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Pulwama terror attack: India's response was carefully calibrated

Former cricketer <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Virender+Sehwag">Virender Sehwag</a> hailed the arrival of Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to India.&nbsp;

Varthaman has arrived his home country, India via the Attari-Wagah border amid tight security and he was&nbsp;handed over to Indian officials.&nbsp;

Sehwag took to Twitter to welcome the IAF pilot. With a hashtag #WelcomeBackAbhinandan, he wrote, "How proud we are to have you! Bow down to your skills and even more your grit and courage."&nbsp;

"We love you and are filled with pride because of you," Sehwag added.&nbsp;

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How proud we are to have you ! Bow down to your skills and even more your grit and courage 🙏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeBackAbhinandan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeBackAbhinandan</a> . We love you and are filled with pride because of you.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreSupposedToTellYouThis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreSupposedToTellYouThis</a> <a href="https://t.co/IfqBFNNa3T">pic.twitter.com/IfqBFNNa3T</a>
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1101437935793176577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In my time alive on this 🌎 planet, I haven’t seen a bigger hero. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeBackAbhinandan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeBackAbhinandan</a>
— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1101457612757884929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also praised Abhinandan. He wrote, "In my time alive on this planet, I haven’t seen a bigger hero."

Wing Commander Varthaman was captured by Pakistan after his jet went down following a strike by an enemy missile.&nbsp;

Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

Former cricketer Virender Sehwag hailed the arrival of Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to India. Varthaman has arrived his home country, India via the Attari-Wagah border amid tight security and he was handed over to Indian officials.

Former cricketer Virender Sehwag hailed the arrival of Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to India. Varthaman has arrived his home country, India via the Attari-Wagah border amid tight security and he was handed over to Indian officials. Sehwag took to Twitter to welcome the IAF pilot. With a hashtag #WelcomeBackAbhinandan, he wrote, "How proud we are to have you! Bow down to your skills and even more your grit and courage." "We love you and are filled with pride because of you," Sehwag added. How proud we are to have you ! Bow down to your skills and even more your grit and courage 🙏 #WelcomeBackAbhinandan . We love you and are filled with pride because of you.#WeAreSupposedToTellYouThis pic.twitter.com/IfqBFNNa3T — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 1, 2019 × In my time alive on this 🌎 planet, I haven’t seen a bigger hero. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan — Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) March 1, 2019 × Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also praised Abhinandan. He wrote, "In my time alive on this planet, I haven’t seen a bigger hero." Wing Commander Varthaman was captured by Pakistan after his jet went down following a strike by an enemy missile. Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning.

Virender Sehwag, Ravichandran Ashwin hail Abhinandan Varthaman's 'grit and courage'

For India to arise, for Bharat to be resurgent, Kashmir must be reintegrated into India. It is a question of national security, national identity and throwing off outside interference. Otherwise, India's war of independence will continue at a proxy level with Pakistan and the numerous terrorist organisations allied with it.

India's national sentiment about Kashmir has shifted radically since the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, in which a Pakistan-supported Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber took the lives of more than forty of India's paramilitary forces. India's change of mindset over Kashmir is irreversible and the old appeasement policy is no longer acceptable. A new national vision has arisen that wants a permanent solution to the problem.

The airstrike on terrorist bases in Balakot, Pakistan, on February 26 is a clear manifestation of this new policy and will be followed with similar strong actions as required. It marks the new and determined response of the Narendra Modi government. Pakistan does not listen to the language of diplomacy, which only becomes a cover for its subversive actions. India understands this well and the global community is coming to recognise it too. 
&nbsp; 
There is no going back to the old attitudes that have prevailed since 1947. No more tolerance for terror. No more protection for separatists. Full integration of Kashmir into India. This is the only solution and long term befitting reply to Pakistan's continual terrorist attacks on India.

The outpouring of emotion and outrage after Pulwama has been exceptional and has reached all parts of the country. This is particularly notable given the comparable lack of outrage when the entire Kashmiri Pandit population was driven out by militants in 1990, along with a massive loss of life and property - a veritable genocide of a religious community. This emotion continues after the Balakot retaliatory strikes and is likely to be sustained until Pakistan stops its aggression.

What has caused this radical shift in attitude? It begins with the greater sense of identity and nationalism that we find today in the Modi era, in which it is no longer wrong to be patriotic and proud of India as a nation and a great civilization. It reflects the new aspirational ethos for which being Indian or even being Hindu is no longer something to make excuses about.

It is a complete loss of patience as the Kashmir issue remains problematic after seventy years that have failed to bring peace, despite extensive dialogue, compromise, and the extension of special benefits for Kashmir.

Most importantly, it is not just an issue of local separatists but of global terrorism, with ISIS coming into India. The tactics and sophisticated explosives used in the Pulwama attack indicate training and support by both the Pakistan Army and groups connected to ISIS. If not dealt with firmly, these radical forces can threaten India as a whole, and affect other countries as well.

The response 
 
Removing security from and arresting separatists, stringent economic sanctions against Pakistan and diverting river waters from flowing into Pakistan are important initial steps. The Balakot airstrike and continued retaliatory measures are the second and more significant phase that demonstrates India's new resolve.

All Indians should be allowed to move, conduct business and own property in Kashmir - just as Kashmiris are allowed to do so in the whole of India, as they possess many properties and businesses throughout the country. The special status and autonomy afforded to Kashmir should be revoked and the concerns of Jammu and Ladakh be given their place, not just those of the Valley.

Military retaliation is certainly justified. It is no longer a question merely of Kashmir or India, but of global terrorism centered in Pakistan. The new Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, appears as impotent as previous Prime Ministers to control Pakistan's military domination and support for terrorism. In fact, he came to power with the help of the same jihadi groups behind the Pulwama attack, with Jaish-e-Mohammed supporting his campaign in Punjab.

The roots of terrorism in Pakistan must be addressed, not simply the branches that extend into Kashmir. While it is necessary to engage the international community with diplomatic sanctions on Pakistan, India must act according to its own interests extending to military responses. The world does not honour a weak country, particularly in the face of terrorism. We must compare how the United States, China or Russia firmly deal with terrorism with the softness that India has followed until Narendra Modi's new policy today.&nbsp;

This stronger Indian response is better for Kashmiris, whom Pakistan will never bring peace to. Full integration with India will result in greater prosperity for Kashmir and restore cultural harmony. Show us one province in Pakistan where there is harmony, even among Muslim sects and where any minorities are treated fairly?&nbsp;

While dangers exist in a more aggressive policy relative to Pakistan, there are more significant dangers in continuing the same policies that have resulted in the current situation. The Narendra Modi government knows this and is carefully planning action on all levels, including military, to comprehensively address Pakistan's ongoing proxy war with India through Kashmir. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/why-indias-new-assertive-kashmir-policy-is-essential-2183995.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

For India to arise, for Bharat to be resurgent, Kashmir must be reintegrated into India. It is a question of national security, national identity and throwing off outside interference.

For India to arise, for Bharat to be resurgent, Kashmir must be reintegrated into India. It is a question of national security, national identity and throwing off outside interference. Otherwise, India's war of independence will continue at a proxy level with Pakistan and the numerous terrorist organisations allied with it. India's national sentiment about Kashmir has shifted radically since the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, in which a Pakistan-supported Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber took the lives of more than forty of India's paramilitary forces. India's change of mindset over Kashmir is irreversible and the old appeasement policy is no longer acceptable. A new national vision has arisen that wants a permanent solution to the problem. The airstrike on terrorist bases in Balakot, Pakistan, on February 26 is a clear manifestation of this new policy and will be followed with similar strong actions as required. It marks the new and determined response of the Narendra Modi government. Pakistan does not listen to the language of diplomacy, which only becomes a cover for its subversive actions. India understands this well and the global community is coming to recognise it too. There is no going back to the old attitudes that have prevailed since 1947. No more tolerance for terror. No more protection for separatists. Full integration of Kashmir into India. This is the only solution and long term befitting reply to Pakistan's continual terrorist attacks on India. The outpouring of emotion and outrage after Pulwama has been exceptional and has reached all parts of the country. This is particularly notable given the comparable lack of outrage when the entire Kashmiri Pandit population was driven out by militants in 1990, along with a massive loss of life and property - a veritable genocide of a religious community. This emotion continues after the Balakot retaliatory strikes and is likely to be sustained until Pakistan stops its aggression. What has caused this radical shift in attitude? It begins with the greater sense of identity and nationalism that we find today in the Modi era, in which it is no longer wrong to be patriotic and proud of India as a nation and a great civilization. It reflects the new aspirational ethos for which being Indian or even being Hindu is no longer something to make excuses about. It is a complete loss of patience as the Kashmir issue remains problematic after seventy years that have failed to bring peace, despite extensive dialogue, compromise, and the extension of special benefits for Kashmir. Most importantly, it is not just an issue of local separatists but of global terrorism, with ISIS coming into India. The tactics and sophisticated explosives used in the Pulwama attack indicate training and support by both the Pakistan Army and groups connected to ISIS. If not dealt with firmly, these radical forces can threaten India as a whole, and affect other countries as well. The response Removing security from and arresting separatists, stringent economic sanctions against Pakistan and diverting river waters from flowing into Pakistan are important initial steps. The Balakot airstrike and continued retaliatory measures are the second and more significant phase that demonstrates India's new resolve. All Indians should be allowed to move, conduct business and own property in Kashmir - just as Kashmiris are allowed to do so in the whole of India, as they possess many properties and businesses throughout the country. The special status and autonomy afforded to Kashmir should be revoked and the concerns of Jammu and Ladakh be given their place, not just those of the Valley. Military retaliation is certainly justified. It is no longer a question merely of Kashmir or India, but of global terrorism centered in Pakistan. The new Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, appears as impotent as previous Prime Ministers to control Pakistan's military domination and support for terrorism. In fact, he came to power with the help of the same jihadi groups behind the Pulwama attack, with Jaish-e-Mohammed supporting his campaign in Punjab. The roots of terrorism in Pakistan must be addressed, not simply the branches that extend into Kashmir. While it is necessary to engage the international community with diplomatic sanctions on Pakistan, India must act according to its own interests extending to military responses. The world does not honour a weak country, particularly in the face of terrorism. We must compare how the United States, China or Russia firmly deal with terrorism with the softness that India has followed until Narendra Modi's new policy today. This stronger Indian response is better for Kashmiris, whom Pakistan will never bring peace to. Full integration with India will result in greater prosperity for Kashmir and restore cultural harmony. Show us one province in Pakistan where there is harmony, even among Muslim sects and where any minorities are treated fairly? While dangers exist in a more aggressive policy relative to Pakistan, there are more significant dangers in continuing the same policies that have resulted in the current situation. The Narendra Modi government knows this and is carefully planning action on all levels, including military, to comprehensively address Pakistan's ongoing proxy war with India through Kashmir. (This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Why India's new assertive Kashmir policy is essential

Prime Minister Imran Khan told the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-india-refuses-to-negotiate-pilots-return-pak-foreign-minister-qureshi-says-ready-to-send-him-back-if-it-leads-to-de-escalation-200283">National Assembly today that the Pakistan government </a>would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow.

The development comes after&nbsp;a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if&nbsp;it led&nbsp;to "de-escalation".

A government source had said earlier that India won't allow a "Kandahar-like" situation this time. &nbsp;"If they think they will hold us hostage with our captured defence personnel, this won't happen," the sources added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said.

India on Wednesday had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah &nbsp;and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by Air forces of the two countries.

"It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the external affairs ministry said, adding that it had conveyed "strong objection" to the Pakistan deputy high commissioner at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention.&nbsp;

As tensions between the two nations continued to rise, US President Donald Trump sought to cool nerves asserting that &nbsp;"reasonably attractive" news was set to come from Pakistan and India.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam after the second summit with North Korean leader Kim, Trump said, "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it we have been involved in trying to help them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news."

He added, "I think, hopefully that will be coming to an end. It's being going for a long time. Decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately." 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Imran Khan told the National Assembly today that the Pakistan government would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow. The development comes after a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it led to "de-escalation".

Prime Minister Imran Khan told the National Assembly today that the Pakistan government would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow. The development comes after a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it led to "de-escalation". A government source had said earlier that India won't allow a "Kandahar-like" situation this time. "If they think they will hold us hostage with our captured defence personnel, this won't happen," the sources added. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was safe and sound. "The armed forces rescued him from the mob that went after him after his plane crashed in Kashmir," the FO said. India on Wednesday had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah and demanded immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot who was detained by Pakistan following an aerial engagement by Air forces of the two countries. "It has also been made clear to Pakistan that no harm should be caused to the Indian defence personnel, the external affairs ministry said, adding that it had conveyed "strong objection" to the Pakistan deputy high commissioner at the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention. As tensions between the two nations continued to rise, US President Donald Trump sought to cool nerves asserting that "reasonably attractive" news was set to come from Pakistan and India. Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam after the second summit with North Korean leader Kim, Trump said, "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India. They have been going at it we have been involved in trying to help them stop. And we have some reasonably decent news." He added, "I think, hopefully that will be coming to an end. It's being going for a long time. Decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately."

As a peace gesture we are releasing captured Indian pilot, says Pak PM Imran Khan

After India declared that one of its pilots was "missing in action", <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amid-tensions-at-the-border-india-summons-pakistan-deputy-high-commissioner-200067">the ministry of foreign affairs(MEA)</a> summoned the Pakistani deputy high commissioner &nbsp;Syed Haider Shah &nbsp;even as tensions escalated at the border on Wednesday.

In a statement, the MEA said: "It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return."

"India also strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention," the MEA statement added.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AVrUd53jJ-k" width="560"></iframe>

India and Pakistan Air Force were involved in a skirmish on Wednesday morning as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shot-down-one-pakistan-air-force-plane-1-mig-21-aircraft-lost-pilot-missing-in-action-india-200042">Pakistan Air Force(PAF) jets</a> entered Indian airspace through Nowshera. India's foreign ministry spokesman said Indian forces shot down a PAF jet but it lost a MiG-21 aircraft with a pilot "missing in action".

In the afternoon, PM Imran Khan in an address to the nation called for talks terming war as a "miscalculation". Amid heightened&nbsp;tensions, the US and China urged both sides to exercise&nbsp;restraint.

The Indian Air Force had conducted a predawn attack on Pakistani terror targets on Tuesday in Balakot area&nbsp;the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan&nbsp;in retaliation&nbsp;against the terror attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama on February 14th.

After India declared that one of its pilots was "missing in action", the ministry of foreign affairs(MEA) summoned the Pakistani deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah even as tensions escalated at the border on Wednesday.

After India declared that one of its pilots was "missing in action", the ministry of foreign affairs(MEA) summoned the Pakistani deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah even as tensions escalated at the border on Wednesday. In a statement, the MEA said: "It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return." "India also strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of an injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention," the MEA statement added. India and Pakistan Air Force were involved in a skirmish on Wednesday morning as Pakistan Air Force(PAF) jets entered Indian airspace through Nowshera. India's foreign ministry spokesman said Indian forces shot down a PAF jet but it lost a MiG-21 aircraft with a pilot "missing in action". In the afternoon, PM Imran Khan in an address to the nation called for talks terming war as a "miscalculation". Amid heightened tensions, the US and China urged both sides to exercise restraint. The Indian Air Force had conducted a predawn attack on Pakistani terror targets on Tuesday in Balakot area the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan in retaliation against the terror attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama on February 14th.

Ensure no harm comes to Indian defence personnel, expect his safe return: India to Pak

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-a-peace-gesture-we-are-releasing-captured-pilot-tomorrow-pm-imran-khan-200295">As a peace gesture we are releasing captured Indian pilot tomorrow, says Pak PM Imran Khan</a>

Prime Minister Imran Khan told the&nbsp;National Assembly today that the Pakistan government&nbsp;would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow. The development comes after&nbsp;a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if&nbsp;it led&nbsp;to "de-escalation".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-resorts-to-ceasefire-violation-on-seventh-consecutive-day-fires-mortars-in-poonch-200296">Pakistan resorts to ceasefire violation on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-resorts-to-ceasefire-violation-on-seventh-consecutive-day-fires-mortars-in-poonch-200296">seventh</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-resorts-to-ceasefire-violation-on-seventh-consecutive-day-fires-mortars-in-poonch-200296"> consecutive day, fires mortars in Poonch</a>

The Pakistani Army Thursday heavily shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts, committing repeated ceasefire violations but drawing "strong" retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/to-keep-eye-on-china-indian-army-shifts-mountain-strike-corps-headquarters-from-ranchi-to-panagarh-200313">To keep eye on China, Indian Army shifts Mountain Strike Corps’ headquarters from Jharkhand to West Bengal</a>

In the backdrop of Pakistan’s intrusion into&nbsp;the Indian air space on Wednesday, the Indian Army has decided to shift the headquarters of Mountain Strike Corps from Ranchi to Panagarh in West Bengal to keep a close watch on China.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-deal-with-kim-thwarted-by-north-korean-sanction-demands-200231">Trump says deal with Kim thwarted by North Korean sanction demands</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had&nbsp;failed to reach an agreement&nbsp;due to North Korean demands to lift punishing US-led sanctions.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mass-grave-found-in-last-islamic-state-bastion-syrian-democratic-forces-200317">Mass grave found in last Islamic State bastion: Syrian Democratic Forces</a>

A mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of people who may be Yazidis enslaved by Islamic State has been found in territory recently seized by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an SDF official said on Thursday.

As a peace gesture we are releasing captured Indian pilot tomorrow, says Pak PM Imran Khan Prime Minister Imran Khan told the National Assembly today that the Pakistan government would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow.

As a peace gesture we are releasing captured Indian pilot tomorrow, says Pak PM Imran Khan Prime Minister Imran Khan told the National Assembly today that the Pakistan government would be releasing the captured pilot tomorrow. The development comes after a media report said foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it led to "de-escalation". Pakistan resorts to ceasefire violation on seventh consecutive day, fires mortars in Poonch The Pakistani Army Thursday heavily shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts, committing repeated ceasefire violations but drawing "strong" retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said. To keep eye on China, Indian Army shifts Mountain Strike Corps’ headquarters from Jharkhand to West Bengal In the backdrop of Pakistan’s intrusion into the Indian air space on Wednesday, the Indian Army has decided to shift the headquarters of Mountain Strike Corps from Ranchi to Panagarh in West Bengal to keep a close watch on China. Trump says deal with Kim thwarted by North Korean sanction demands US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had failed to reach an agreement due to North Korean demands to lift punishing US-led sanctions. Mass grave found in last Islamic State bastion: Syrian Democratic Forces A mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of people who may be Yazidis enslaved by Islamic State has been found in territory recently seized by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an SDF official said on Thursday.

News brief: Big stories of the day

In the backdrop of Pakistan’s intrusion into <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-pakistan-standoff-us-supports-indias-airstrikes-on-jem-terror-camp-and-other-developments-200164">the Indian air space on Wednesday</a>, the Indian Army has decided to shift the headquarters of Mountain Strike Corps from Ranchi to Panagarh in West Bengal to keep a close watch on China.

The XVII Mountain Strike Corps also known as the Brahmastra Corps is a China-specific Strike Corps considering its location having a close proximity with China.&nbsp;The creation of the Corps was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2013 and was to have close to 90,000 troops. But, the work to raise the Mountain Strike Corps slowed due to fund constraints.

However, the headquarters of the Mountain Strike Corps is being shifted from Ranchi to its original place – Panagarh in West Bengal to keep a watch on Pakistan’s ally: China and strengthen the North-Eastern borders in the present day scenario.

On Wednesday, the Eastern Army Commander General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Lieutenant General MM Naravane visited and met the General Officer Commanding (Brahmastra Corps) Lt Gen P. N. Rao.

He checked the operational preparedness and took stock of the situation at Panagarh.

“Eastern Command Army commander visited Panagarh Military Station on Wednesday. He was received by Lieutenant General P N Rao, GOC, Brahmastra Corps. The Corps which was raised at Ranchi will shortly be shifting to Panagarh. The Army Commander reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of the formation. He emphasised the need for remaining ready at all times to meet the emerging security challenges. The GOC-in-C also interacted with the troops and appreciated their continued efforts in developing the military station,"&nbsp;said a statement from the Eastern Command.

The country’s first Mountain Strike Corps has several infantry and armoured battalions, artillery and aviation wing. The unit at Panagarh, has a team of Special Forces skilled in para-dropping and lifting. They can be deployed in a war-like situation in the dark without the enemy getting to know of it.

Significantly, the Panagarh Air Force Station houses the second squadron of the C-130J Super Hercules after the Hindon Air Base. It would take less than 60 minutes to reach the Chinese border or the LAC when airborne from the Panagarh AFS.

The C-130J can land on unpaved surfaces, short airstrips, advanced landing grounds (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh like Tuting, Mechuka, Ziro, Aalo, Pasighat, Walong, Tawang and Vijaynagar closer to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with troops and materials. &nbsp;

It can also para-drop special forces - known for their speed and stealth -&nbsp;and move faster with equipment and good and return to the base quickly to dispatch the next team.

In the backdrop of Pakistan’s intrusion into the Indian air space on Wednesday, the Indian Army has decided to shift the headquarters of Mountain Strike Corps from Ranchi to Panagarh in West Bengal to keep a close watch on China.

In the backdrop of Pakistan’s intrusion into the Indian air space on Wednesday, the Indian Army has decided to shift the headquarters of Mountain Strike Corps from Ranchi to Panagarh in West Bengal to keep a close watch on China. The XVII Mountain Strike Corps also known as the Brahmastra Corps is a China-specific Strike Corps considering its location having a close proximity with China. The creation of the Corps was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2013 and was to have close to 90,000 troops. But, the work to raise the Mountain Strike Corps slowed due to fund constraints. However, the headquarters of the Mountain Strike Corps is being shifted from Ranchi to its original place – Panagarh in West Bengal to keep a watch on Pakistan’s ally: China and strengthen the North-Eastern borders in the present day scenario. On Wednesday, the Eastern Army Commander General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Lieutenant General MM Naravane visited and met the General Officer Commanding (Brahmastra Corps) Lt Gen P. N. Rao. He checked the operational preparedness and took stock of the situation at Panagarh. “Eastern Command Army commander visited Panagarh Military Station on Wednesday. He was received by Lieutenant General P N Rao, GOC, Brahmastra Corps. The Corps which was raised at Ranchi will shortly be shifting to Panagarh. The Army Commander reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of the formation. He emphasised the need for remaining ready at all times to meet the emerging security challenges. The GOC-in-C also interacted with the troops and appreciated their continued efforts in developing the military station," said a statement from the Eastern Command. The country’s first Mountain Strike Corps has several infantry and armoured battalions, artillery and aviation wing. The unit at Panagarh, has a team of Special Forces skilled in para-dropping and lifting. They can be deployed in a war-like situation in the dark without the enemy getting to know of it. Significantly, the Panagarh Air Force Station houses the second squadron of the C-130J Super Hercules after the Hindon Air Base. It would take less than 60 minutes to reach the Chinese border or the LAC when airborne from the Panagarh AFS. The C-130J can land on unpaved surfaces, short airstrips, advanced landing grounds (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh like Tuting, Mechuka, Ziro, Aalo, Pasighat, Walong, Tawang and Vijaynagar closer to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with troops and materials. It can also para-drop special forces - known for their speed and stealth - and move faster with equipment and good and return to the base quickly to dispatch the next team.

To keep eye on China, Indian Army shifts Mountain Strike Corps’ headquarters from Jharkhand to West Bengal

India has dished out to Pakistan what it had been asking for years. Pakistan had been testing India’s patience by carrying out dastardly attacks through its band of home-grown terrorists in Kashmir and other parts of the country. But for how long? It had to happen. India needed to give a strong reply to Pakistan to stop it in its tracks.&nbsp;

For how long could Pakistan expect India to sit quietly as it went about continuing with its state policy of terror? A loud and clear message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in going inside the Pakistani territory to hunt out terrorists and their camps. &nbsp;

Here are the key takeaways:&nbsp; 
 
Meticulous planning: The air strike was well-timed and carefully planned. It is not easy to carry out aerial attacks during the hours of darkness when operations get hampered due to lower visibility. But Indian Air Force chose 3.30 am local time to exploit the advantages to maximum effect when its Mirage 2000 fighter jets dropped bombs on JeM terrorist camp in Pakistan's Balakot. In less than 30 minutes, 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets completed the job with precision by eliminating the terror camp, which had taken the responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were martyred. Though exact figures are not readily available, a large number of militants and their leaders and handlers (some reports put the figure between 200 and 300) were killed. &nbsp; 
 
Pakistan caught napping: Pakistan least expected India to cross the Line of Control and conduct airstrikes inside its territory. Pakistan knew of impending response from India in the wake of the outrage following the Pulwama terror attack. Expecting India to carry out another surgical attack following the Uri attack last year, it had moved away several terror launch pads and training facilities from the line of control dividing Kashmir. But the least it had expected that India will dare to launch air strikes on its soil. This is the first time India has resorted to aerial bombing over the disputed border since the 1971 war. Indian warplanes had not crossed the Line of Control even during the brief Kargil conflict in 1999. &nbsp;

Zero tolerance towards terrorism: A hard and decisive message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in taking punitive measures if the former continued with its malicious designs. India had earlier indicated a change of its approach when it carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists 10 days after the Uri attack in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed. &nbsp;With Pakistan disregarding all calls from India and the world leaders to close terror camps operating from its soil and prevent infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir, such a reply was long overdue. &nbsp;

Prepared for escalation: The air strike also conveys Indian leadership’s readiness for an all-out confrontation if Pakistan chooses to escalate the situation. Thus far, New Delhi had been held hostage to Islamabad’s manipulation and the threat of use of nuclear weapons if India dared any limited strikes on Pakistan. It resisted the military response, despite the massive outcry back home, for fear of escalation of hostilities. But New Delhi has decided to bite the bullet by extracting revenge on both the occasions. This marks a tectonic shift from India’s earlier stand when it used to share information of terror attacks with Pakistan in the hope that the latter will live up to its promise and take any concrete action against the terrorist groups operating from its soil. &nbsp;

Message to the world: With the world leaders baulking at India’s repeated requests for concerted and timely action against terrorism, New Delhi has decided to walk the talk. India has also sent out a strong signal to the global community that enough is enough and it reserves the right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism. India is unlikely to face any resistance given the global community’s strong condemnation of the Pulwama terror attacks and support to New Delhi. In fact, the US national security advisor John Bolton had gone on to say that Washington supported India's right to 'self-defence' from 'cross-border terrorism'.&nbsp;

What does it augur: There is no doubt that India’s military action has upped the ante and the world is concerned about the escalation of hostilities. The Indo-Pakistan relations have taken a severe hit and there does not seem a ray of hope of any betterment in the situation in the very near future. Any miscalculation by either of the two countries can bring them to the brink of a full-fledged war which does not augur well. Both countries should practice restraint and bide time to give peace another chance.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

India has dished out to Pakistan what it had been asking for years. Pakistan had been testing India’s patience by carrying out dastardly attacks through its band of home-grown terrorists in Kashmir and other parts of the country.

India has dished out to Pakistan what it had been asking for years. Pakistan had been testing India’s patience by carrying out dastardly attacks through its band of home-grown terrorists in Kashmir and other parts of the country. But for how long? It had to happen. India needed to give a strong reply to Pakistan to stop it in its tracks. For how long could Pakistan expect India to sit quietly as it went about continuing with its state policy of terror? A loud and clear message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in going inside the Pakistani territory to hunt out terrorists and their camps. Here are the key takeaways: Meticulous planning: The air strike was well-timed and carefully planned. It is not easy to carry out aerial attacks during the hours of darkness when operations get hampered due to lower visibility. But Indian Air Force chose 3.30 am local time to exploit the advantages to maximum effect when its Mirage 2000 fighter jets dropped bombs on JeM terrorist camp in Pakistan's Balakot. In less than 30 minutes, 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets completed the job with precision by eliminating the terror camp, which had taken the responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were martyred. Though exact figures are not readily available, a large number of militants and their leaders and handlers (some reports put the figure between 200 and 300) were killed. Pakistan caught napping: Pakistan least expected India to cross the Line of Control and conduct airstrikes inside its territory. Pakistan knew of impending response from India in the wake of the outrage following the Pulwama terror attack. Expecting India to carry out another surgical attack following the Uri attack last year, it had moved away several terror launch pads and training facilities from the line of control dividing Kashmir. But the least it had expected that India will dare to launch air strikes on its soil. This is the first time India has resorted to aerial bombing over the disputed border since the 1971 war. Indian warplanes had not crossed the Line of Control even during the brief Kargil conflict in 1999. Zero tolerance towards terrorism: A hard and decisive message has been delivered to Pakistan that India will not hesitate in taking punitive measures if the former continued with its malicious designs. India had earlier indicated a change of its approach when it carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists 10 days after the Uri attack in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed. With Pakistan disregarding all calls from India and the world leaders to close terror camps operating from its soil and prevent infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir, such a reply was long overdue. Prepared for escalation: The air strike also conveys Indian leadership’s readiness for an all-out confrontation if Pakistan chooses to escalate the situation. Thus far, New Delhi had been held hostage to Islamabad’s manipulation and the threat of use of nuclear weapons if India dared any limited strikes on Pakistan. It resisted the military response, despite the massive outcry back home, for fear of escalation of hostilities. But New Delhi has decided to bite the bullet by extracting revenge on both the occasions. This marks a tectonic shift from India’s earlier stand when it used to share information of terror attacks with Pakistan in the hope that the latter will live up to its promise and take any concrete action against the terrorist groups operating from its soil. Message to the world: With the world leaders baulking at India’s repeated requests for concerted and timely action against terrorism, New Delhi has decided to walk the talk. India has also sent out a strong signal to the global community that enough is enough and it reserves the right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism. India is unlikely to face any resistance given the global community’s strong condemnation of the Pulwama terror attacks and support to New Delhi. In fact, the US national security advisor John Bolton had gone on to say that Washington supported India's right to 'self-defence' from 'cross-border terrorism'. What does it augur: There is no doubt that India’s military action has upped the ante and the world is concerned about the escalation of hostilities. The Indo-Pakistan relations have taken a severe hit and there does not seem a ray of hope of any betterment in the situation in the very near future. Any miscalculation by either of the two countries can bring them to the brink of a full-fledged war which does not augur well. Both countries should practice restraint and bide time to give peace another chance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Balakot operation: India serves it right and tight to Pakistan

India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's deputy <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shot-down-one-pakistan-air-force-plane-1-mig-21-aircraft-lost-pilot-missing-in-action-india-200042">High Commissioner Syed Haider </a>Shah after Pakistan Air Force jets entered Indian airspace in Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the Indian Air Force(IAF) carried out air strikes in Balakot across the Line of Control(LoC).

India's external affairs ministry spokesman<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-fighter-planes-enter-indian-airspace-in-jk-pushed-back-by-indian-jets-199993"> Raveesh Kumar at a press conference had</a> informed earlier that an Indian Air Force MiG-21 was lost and the pilot was "missing in action".

Kumar added that Indian forces had shot down an PAF fighter jet earlier on Wednesday morning.

Sources said India was likely to share evidence of Pulwama attack.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ATO9mYlhFRw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

"Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully," Kumar &nbsp;said. Report had earlier said India had shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 fighter jet in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector.

&nbsp;

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets had conducted predawn attack on several Pakistani terror facilities across the LoC in Balakot on Tuesday.

After the attacks, on Wednesday in a televised address to the nation, Pakistan&nbsp;PM Imran Khan said: "I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's."&nbsp;

"Let's sit together and settle this with talks," he added.

Meanwhile, the US firmly asked Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil after India's counter-terrorism action against it and asked the two neighbours to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost.&nbsp;

India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah after Pakistan Air Force jets entered Indian airspace in Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the Indian Air Force(IAF) carried out air strikes in Balakot across the Line of Control(LoC).

India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah after Pakistan Air Force jets entered Indian airspace in Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the Indian Air Force(IAF) carried out air strikes in Balakot across the Line of Control(LoC). India's external affairs ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar at a press conference had informed earlier that an Indian Air Force MiG-21 was lost and the pilot was "missing in action". Kumar added that Indian forces had shot down an PAF fighter jet earlier on Wednesday morning. Sources said India was likely to share evidence of Pulwama attack. "Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan's attempts were foiled successfully," Kumar said. Report had earlier said India had shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 fighter jet in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector. Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets had conducted predawn attack on several Pakistani terror facilities across the LoC in Balakot on Tuesday. After the attacks, on Wednesday in a televised address to the nation, Pakistan PM Imran Khan said: "I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's." "Let's sit together and settle this with talks," he added. Meanwhile, the US firmly asked Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil after India's counter-terrorism action against it and asked the two neighbours to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost.

Amid tensions at the border, India summons Pakistan deputy High Commissioner

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday praised the pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) following reports that they crossed the Line of Control (LoC) with their fighter jets and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/terror-camps-destroyed-as-12-mirage-jets-drops-1000-kg-bombs-across-loc-iaf-sources-199744">destroyed terrorist camps</a> in Pakistan.

"I salute the pilots of the IAF," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. He also put out the Indian flag along with his tweet.

The Congress also tweeted, lauding the role of the Indian Air Force in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ccs-meeting-gets-underway-hours-after-iaf-bombs-terror-camps-across-loc-199763">keeping Indians safe</a> with its consistent and determined effort.

Kejriwal in a tweet said, "I salute the bravery of Indian Air Force pilots who have made us proud by striking terror targets in Pakistan."

The strikes involving 12 fighter jets of the Indian Air Force successfully destroyed camps belonging to Pakistan-based terror outfits in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Indian government sources said.

Pakistan claimed on Tuesday that IAF fighter jets crossed the LoC and returned after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled war planes.

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asif Ghafoor in a tweet confirmed that the jets dropped in the payload near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday praised the pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) following reports that they crossed the Line of Control (LoC) with their fighter jets and destroyed terrorist camps in Pakistan.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday praised the pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) following reports that they crossed the Line of Control (LoC) with their fighter jets and destroyed terrorist camps in Pakistan. "I salute the pilots of the IAF," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. He also put out the Indian flag along with his tweet. The Congress also tweeted, lauding the role of the Indian Air Force in keeping Indians safe with its consistent and determined effort. Kejriwal in a tweet said, "I salute the bravery of Indian Air Force pilots who have made us proud by striking terror targets in Pakistan." The strikes involving 12 fighter jets of the Indian Air Force successfully destroyed camps belonging to Pakistan-based terror outfits in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Indian government sources said. Pakistan claimed on Tuesday that IAF fighter jets crossed the LoC and returned after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled war planes. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asif Ghafoor in a tweet confirmed that the jets dropped in the payload near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal praise IAF for crossing LoC and destroying terror camps

In first cross-border airstrike in 5 decades IAF destroys JeM camps across LoC

India strikes back: IAF enters deep into Pak territory, 350 JeM terrorists killed while sleeping

IAF destroys JeM's biggest terror camps in a 'non-military preemptive strike'

Having played cricket for long, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan knows that delivery is called out for a no-ball only when he crosses the crease at the bowler's end in a certain manner as per the rules of the game. The 'Surgical Strike 2.0' launched in the early hours of this Tuesday are such that an international umpire cannot easily raise his hand horizontally and cry out a 'No', because the territory into which a dozen Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets flew into is arguably blessed by international diplomatic procedures.

The strike on Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistani territory is controversial no doubt, but it appears that India has a case for hot-pursuit as an extension of its defence of Kashmir, including the portion that India describes as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The details of PoK are often not discussed because most of the attention is usually on the Indian side, thanks to terror attacks and political turmoil. Last week, when Khan went on his country's national television to ask for proof after the Pulwama attack that killed dozens of Central Reserve Police Force soldiers and assert that his nation would retaliate if India attacked Pakistan, he was bowling what in his own paceman's terminology would qualify as an in-swinger from outside the off stump.&nbsp;

Islamabad has long played on the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory to score diplomatic points, and India has traditionally been low-key because it has never felt the need to prove anything by raising that point.

What is often lost in this strange mix of noise and studied silence is that the Pakistani side of Kashmir is as disputed by India as the Indian side of the LoC (Line of Control) is challenged by Pakistan.

Now, what happens when - as it did in Pulwama - a Kashmiri youth launches a suicide bomb attack with a big pile of deadly RDX? We all know that without the support of explicitly Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, he could not have brought in that kind of ammunition. We know that such support in terms of logistics and resources cannot be marshalled without institutional support from a body like the Pakistan Army or its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).&nbsp;

Yet, given the fact that it was a Kashmiri who fronted the attack, in diplomatic terms, Islamabad would use that card to claim in international forums that the attack was part of an autonomous struggle of Kashmiris for self-determination (conveniently forgetting that such a logic can also apply to Balochistan in Pakistan). Pakistan's ISI-backed attacks typically come from outside India but move in through the disputed territory - making it a diplomatic in-swinger, as it were.

What has happened this Tuesday is an Indian googly to counter Imran's in-swinger. JeM has been operating out of Bahawalpur in Pakistani Punjab - in a proven manner. If India crosses through to Balakot past the LoC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the follow-through from PoK, as it has, you could say the response is symmetrical. Also, it is pertinent to remember that US Navy Seals attacked Abbottabad well inside Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden of al Qaeda. There is therefore not much that Washington can say or do as India can always cite that as a precedent.

There is no doubt that this week's action is pre-emptive, visible, more daring and more open than the 'Surgical Strike 1.0' that took place after the Uri attack in 2016. In diplomatic terms, this means that just like the Pulwama attack, this is happening broadly as an extension of a disputed region in addition to the fact that it is dealing with terrorism and not a conventional army attack.

There is a shrewd move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in this. You could call it a calculated risk. However, statements from President Donald Trump and support from 48 countries including Germany have clearly signalled support for India to defend its territory and strike against terror.

While glib parallels may be drawn between Israeli attacks on Palestinian territory and India's surgical strikes, it is important to understand that in India's case, there is a much higher legitimacy in international diplomatic terms. It is not surprising therefore that BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy has been quick to claim that "we bombed our own territory."&nbsp;

Ordinary Indians do not know some facts on Kashmir, such as how India "returned" to Pakistan the Haji Pir Pass after their war over the region in 1965. The return is a controversial one for obvious reasons as India's soldiers had captured the pass after a valiant battle to check one of the vital hubs of militant infiltration into Indian territory. Under talks held between Pakistani leaders and then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in January 1966 at Tashkent (just before his sudden and mysterious death), India returned the Haji Pir pass to Pakistan for what military analysts say is a strategic reason, to make the Jammu region safer.

The decision remains controversial as India did not take the pass again in 1971, but the give-and-take pursued by India then gives it a diplomatic lever to show how it did not shy away from talks, except under the shadow of terror.

Events in the 1980s and 1990s, when the territorial war between two armies became restated as a proxy war by Pakistan under military dictator Zia ul-Haq, have totally changed the complexion of the relations between two countries as conventional diplomacy as well as conventional war have less meaning where "non-state" actors like Jaish-e-Mohammed and their movement across the porous LoC are involved.

For India, the military googly bowled on Tuesday remains a calculated risk as Imran Khan is unlikely to take it silently. But this much can be said: in international law and convention, India has a stronger case than some critics think.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/balakot-airstrike-is-indias-googly-response-to-imran-khans-in-swinger-2183673.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Having played cricket for long, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan knows that delivery is called out for a no-ball only when he crosses the crease at the bowler's end in a certain manner as per the rules of the game.

Having played cricket for long, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan knows that delivery is called out for a no-ball only when he crosses the crease at the bowler's end in a certain manner as per the rules of the game. The 'Surgical Strike 2.0' launched in the early hours of this Tuesday are such that an international umpire cannot easily raise his hand horizontally and cry out a 'No', because the territory into which a dozen Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets flew into is arguably blessed by international diplomatic procedures. The strike on Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistani territory is controversial no doubt, but it appears that India has a case for hot-pursuit as an extension of its defence of Kashmir, including the portion that India describes as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The details of PoK are often not discussed because most of the attention is usually on the Indian side, thanks to terror attacks and political turmoil. Last week, when Khan went on his country's national television to ask for proof after the Pulwama attack that killed dozens of Central Reserve Police Force soldiers and assert that his nation would retaliate if India attacked Pakistan, he was bowling what in his own paceman's terminology would qualify as an in-swinger from outside the off stump. Islamabad has long played on the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory to score diplomatic points, and India has traditionally been low-key because it has never felt the need to prove anything by raising that point. What is often lost in this strange mix of noise and studied silence is that the Pakistani side of Kashmir is as disputed by India as the Indian side of the LoC (Line of Control) is challenged by Pakistan. Now, what happens when - as it did in Pulwama - a Kashmiri youth launches a suicide bomb attack with a big pile of deadly RDX? We all know that without the support of explicitly Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, he could not have brought in that kind of ammunition. We know that such support in terms of logistics and resources cannot be marshalled without institutional support from a body like the Pakistan Army or its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Yet, given the fact that it was a Kashmiri who fronted the attack, in diplomatic terms, Islamabad would use that card to claim in international forums that the attack was part of an autonomous struggle of Kashmiris for self-determination (conveniently forgetting that such a logic can also apply to Balochistan in Pakistan). Pakistan's ISI-backed attacks typically come from outside India but move in through the disputed territory - making it a diplomatic in-swinger, as it were. What has happened this Tuesday is an Indian googly to counter Imran's in-swinger. JeM has been operating out of Bahawalpur in Pakistani Punjab - in a proven manner. If India crosses through to Balakot past the LoC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the follow-through from PoK, as it has, you could say the response is symmetrical. Also, it is pertinent to remember that US Navy Seals attacked Abbottabad well inside Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden of al Qaeda. There is therefore not much that Washington can say or do as India can always cite that as a precedent. There is no doubt that this week's action is pre-emptive, visible, more daring and more open than the 'Surgical Strike 1.0' that took place after the Uri attack in 2016. In diplomatic terms, this means that just like the Pulwama attack, this is happening broadly as an extension of a disputed region in addition to the fact that it is dealing with terrorism and not a conventional army attack. There is a shrewd move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in this. You could call it a calculated risk. However, statements from President Donald Trump and support from 48 countries including Germany have clearly signalled support for India to defend its territory and strike against terror. While glib parallels may be drawn between Israeli attacks on Palestinian territory and India's surgical strikes, it is important to understand that in India's case, there is a much higher legitimacy in international diplomatic terms. It is not surprising therefore that BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy has been quick to claim that "we bombed our own territory." Ordinary Indians do not know some facts on Kashmir, such as how India "returned" to Pakistan the Haji Pir Pass after their war over the region in 1965. The return is a controversial one for obvious reasons as India's soldiers had captured the pass after a valiant battle to check one of the vital hubs of militant infiltration into Indian territory. Under talks held between Pakistani leaders and then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in January 1966 at Tashkent (just before his sudden and mysterious death), India returned the Haji Pir pass to Pakistan for what military analysts say is a strategic reason, to make the Jammu region safer. The decision remains controversial as India did not take the pass again in 1971, but the give-and-take pursued by India then gives it a diplomatic lever to show how it did not shy away from talks, except under the shadow of terror. Events in the 1980s and 1990s, when the territorial war between two armies became restated as a proxy war by Pakistan under military dictator Zia ul-Haq, have totally changed the complexion of the relations between two countries as conventional diplomacy as well as conventional war have less meaning where "non-state" actors like Jaish-e-Mohammed and their movement across the porous LoC are involved. For India, the military googly bowled on Tuesday remains a calculated risk as Imran Khan is unlikely to take it silently. But this much can be said: in international law and convention, India has a stronger case than some critics think. (This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Balakot air strike is India's googly response to Imran Khan's in-swinger

India vs Pakistan: A history of conflict

The bombing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist pad in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, has broken India’s reticence to use Air Force in an unconventional war which it has been subjected to by Pakistan.&nbsp;

India did not use Air Force against China in 1962 out of fear of escalating the war. Even during the Kargil war in 1999, Indian fighter jets&nbsp;not once crossed the LoC.&nbsp;

Last time Indian fighters crossed into Pakistan was in 1971 when India won hands down and Bangladesh was born. 
 
By using nuclear capable and upgraded Mirage 2000, India has called the nuclear bluff of Pakistan. These planes have the proven capability of flying below the radars and can target beyond visual ranges. The fighters can automatically track and target moving targets as well. In 2008, after the Mumbai attack, Mirage 2000 squadron was kept on standby to attack posts inside PoK, but the final call was not taken.

Mumbai did not become the inflexion point despite higher casualties but Pulwama attack did.

The nuclear bluff had deterred Indian military establishment for the past three decades from using air assets. The defence world suffered from caginess when it came to using the Air Force as an option to hit Pakistan. The very idea of the use of the Air Force created the fear of escalation which eventually would go beyond India’s control. Balakot operation has ended the debate. 
 
The air strike has also sent the message to Pakistan that lost cost war, being waged by them in Kashmir, will turn into a high-cost affair if terror activities continue.

Though this strike is no guarantee against a terror attack, but it definitely showcases India’s resolve to use any means including Air Force against Pakistan.&nbsp;

The bottom line is that India has put conventional might back into the game which Pakistan has been dismissing for a long time on a presumption that nuclear nations will not engage in conventional hostility.

The reaction of the Indian government has been restrained so that it doesn't provide anymore provocation to Islamabad.

India categorically stated on Tuesday that it was a preemptive strike to defend itself from the Jihadi elements from across the border. Under the Charter of the United Nations, Article 51 clearly states that countries have the right to self-defence. It is for this reason, India asserted that it was a non-military strike and civilians were not harmed. This time India took a giant leap but silently.

On top of it, lies the importance of Balakot located in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which is Pakistan and not Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). India by hitting the JeM terrorist camp not only demonstrated its technical capability to hit deep inside Pakistan but also created a new military paradigm whereby terrorist targets deep inside Pakistan from now on would be considered legitimate targets by the Indian military.&nbsp;

Balakot also has a history. In 1831, Maharaja Ranjit Singh eliminated Islamic forces of Syed Ahmed. Maulana Masood Azhar set up his camp in Balakot after his release in 2001. It was here that the conspiracy to bomb Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was hatched. Unlike the last time when India conducted surgical strikes inside POK, this time India has signalled broadening of operations all across Pakistan. 
 
Lastly, by hitting out again, India has shown that it will take unilateral action against Pakistan even if the international community has different views on it. This message has gone all across the world. It was long needed but pending as previous political establishment was strategically lazy in dealing with Pak terror. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The bombing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist pad in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, has broken India’s reticence to use Air Force in an unconventional war which it has been subjected to by Pakistan.

The bombing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist pad in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, has broken India’s reticence to use Air Force in an unconventional war which it has been subjected to by Pakistan. India did not use Air Force against China in 1962 out of fear of escalating the war. Even during the Kargil war in 1999, Indian fighter jets not once crossed the LoC. Last time Indian fighters crossed into Pakistan was in 1971 when India won hands down and Bangladesh was born. By using nuclear capable and upgraded Mirage 2000, India has called the nuclear bluff of Pakistan. These planes have the proven capability of flying below the radars and can target beyond visual ranges. The fighters can automatically track and target moving targets as well. In 2008, after the Mumbai attack, Mirage 2000 squadron was kept on standby to attack posts inside PoK, but the final call was not taken. Mumbai did not become the inflexion point despite higher casualties but Pulwama attack did. The nuclear bluff had deterred Indian military establishment for the past three decades from using air assets. The defence world suffered from caginess when it came to using the Air Force as an option to hit Pakistan. The very idea of the use of the Air Force created the fear of escalation which eventually would go beyond India’s control. Balakot operation has ended the debate. The air strike has also sent the message to Pakistan that lost cost war, being waged by them in Kashmir, will turn into a high-cost affair if terror activities continue. Though this strike is no guarantee against a terror attack, but it definitely showcases India’s resolve to use any means including Air Force against Pakistan. The bottom line is that India has put conventional might back into the game which Pakistan has been dismissing for a long time on a presumption that nuclear nations will not engage in conventional hostility. The reaction of the Indian government has been restrained so that it doesn't provide anymore provocation to Islamabad. India categorically stated on Tuesday that it was a preemptive strike to defend itself from the Jihadi elements from across the border. Under the Charter of the United Nations, Article 51 clearly states that countries have the right to self-defence. It is for this reason, India asserted that it was a non-military strike and civilians were not harmed. This time India took a giant leap but silently. On top of it, lies the importance of Balakot located in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which is Pakistan and not Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). India by hitting the JeM terrorist camp not only demonstrated its technical capability to hit deep inside Pakistan but also created a new military paradigm whereby terrorist targets deep inside Pakistan from now on would be considered legitimate targets by the Indian military. Balakot also has a history. In 1831, Maharaja Ranjit Singh eliminated Islamic forces of Syed Ahmed. Maulana Masood Azhar set up his camp in Balakot after his release in 2001. It was here that the conspiracy to bomb Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was hatched. Unlike the last time when India conducted surgical strikes inside POK, this time India has signalled broadening of operations all across Pakistan. Lastly, by hitting out again, India has shown that it will take unilateral action against Pakistan even if the international community has different views on it. This message has gone all across the world. It was long needed but pending as previous political establishment was strategically lazy in dealing with Pak terror. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

IAF operation in Balakot: India calls Pakistan’s nuclear bluff

Breaking the glass ceiling, Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal has scripted history by becoming the first woman flight engineer to be inducted into the Indian Air Force. 
Till last year, the Flight Engineer branch was exclusively the men's domain.

On Friday, the Chandigarh-native covered herself with glory by successfully completing the six-month course at the 112 helicopter unit, Air Force Station, Yelahanka, a defence release said.

A Flight Engineer is the member of an aircraft's flight crew who monitors and operates its complex aircraft systems requiring a specialised skill set, according to the release.

She was commissioned on January 5, 2015, in the engineering branch of the IAF and had served as the chief of firing team and battery commander in a frontline surface to Air Missile squadron, before being selected for the Flight Engineers Course.

During the gruelling training, she trained shoulder to shoulder with her male counterparts, and displayed unflinching commitment, dedication and perseverance, the release said.

As a child, she had aspired to become a soldier and aviator.

The only daughter of D K Jaiswal and Anita, Hina described her achievement as a "dream come true."

"Finally, her dreams have manifested into reality after successfully graduating from the alma mater of Heli-lift," the release said.

"As a Flight Engineer, she would subsequently be posted to operational helicopter units of the IAF. Hina Jaiswal would be routinely called upon to operate in demanding and stressful conditions, right from the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier to the seas of the Andamans," it said.

Over the past few decades, the Indian defence forces have taken several strides to become more gender inclusive.

The Indian Air Force, since 1993, has commissioned women in the officers' cadre and successfully inducted them as pilots also.

Breaking the glass ceiling, Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal has scripted history by becoming the first woman flight engineer to be inducted into the Indian Air Force.

Breaking the glass ceiling, Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal has scripted history by becoming the first woman flight engineer to be inducted into the Indian Air Force. Till last year, the Flight Engineer branch was exclusively the men's domain. On Friday, the Chandigarh-native covered herself with glory by successfully completing the six-month course at the 112 helicopter unit, Air Force Station, Yelahanka, a defence release said. A Flight Engineer is the member of an aircraft's flight crew who monitors and operates its complex aircraft systems requiring a specialised skill set, according to the release. She was commissioned on January 5, 2015, in the engineering branch of the IAF and had served as the chief of firing team and battery commander in a frontline surface to Air Missile squadron, before being selected for the Flight Engineers Course. During the gruelling training, she trained shoulder to shoulder with her male counterparts, and displayed unflinching commitment, dedication and perseverance, the release said. As a child, she had aspired to become a soldier and aviator. The only daughter of D K Jaiswal and Anita, Hina described her achievement as a "dream come true." "Finally, her dreams have manifested into reality after successfully graduating from the alma mater of Heli-lift," the release said. "As a Flight Engineer, she would subsequently be posted to operational helicopter units of the IAF. Hina Jaiswal would be routinely called upon to operate in demanding and stressful conditions, right from the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier to the seas of the Andamans," it said. Over the past few decades, the Indian defence forces have taken several strides to become more gender inclusive. The Indian Air Force, since 1993, has commissioned women in the officers' cadre and successfully inducted them as pilots also.

Meet Hina Jaiswal, IAF's first woman flight engineer

Over 180 passengers, mostly the GATE aspirants, were Sunday airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Jammu to Srinagar, a defence spokesman said.

The IAF launched special sorties of C17 Globemaster over the past two days, airlifting a total of 538 persons, including 319 Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) aspirants, between the twin capitals on Friday and Saturday, he said.

"The IAF again came into assistance of 186 passengers including 170 students who were again airlifted from Jammu to Srinagar after appearing in the GATE examination," the spokesman said.

He said the students quoted it as a "lifetime memorable exam" for them and will be remembered forever.

"The students were very relieved as they could appear only because of timely and humanitarian assistance from the armed forces. All of them were very appreciative and thankful for this humanitarian concern of the armed forces along with guarding the frontiers at all times," the spokesman said.

Among others who were airlifted included children, he said.

Meanwhile, 28 stranded people, including three critically-ill women, were airlifted from snow-bound areas of Kishtwar in various sorties by Pawan Hans helicopter, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana personally monitored the operations, they said, adding the district administration had sought the chopper services to airlift critically-ill patients from far-flung snowbound areas including Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan.

On Saturday, the district administration had airlifted three patients from Kishtwar to Jammu.

Over 180 passengers, mostly the GATE aspirants, were Sunday airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Jammu to Srinagar, a defence spokesman said. The IAF launched special sorties of C17 Globemaster over the past two days, airlifting a total of 538 persons, including 319 Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) aspirants, between the twin capitals on Friday and Saturday, he said.

Over 180 passengers, mostly the GATE aspirants, were Sunday airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Jammu to Srinagar, a defence spokesman said. The IAF launched special sorties of C17 Globemaster over the past two days, airlifting a total of 538 persons, including 319 Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) aspirants, between the twin capitals on Friday and Saturday, he said. "The IAF again came into assistance of 186 passengers including 170 students who were again airlifted from Jammu to Srinagar after appearing in the GATE examination," the spokesman said. He said the students quoted it as a "lifetime memorable exam" for them and will be remembered forever. "The students were very relieved as they could appear only because of timely and humanitarian assistance from the armed forces. All of them were very appreciative and thankful for this humanitarian concern of the armed forces along with guarding the frontiers at all times," the spokesman said. Among others who were airlifted included children, he said. Meanwhile, 28 stranded people, including three critically-ill women, were airlifted from snow-bound areas of Kishtwar in various sorties by Pawan Hans helicopter, officials said. Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana personally monitored the operations, they said, adding the district administration had sought the chopper services to airlift critically-ill patients from far-flung snowbound areas including Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan. On Saturday, the district administration had airlifted three patients from Kishtwar to Jammu.

Indian Air Force airlifts 186 stranded passengers from Jammu to Srinagar

The Indian Air Force is undertaking proactive measures to minimise accidents caused by human error, IAF chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said Monday at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-air-force-celebrates-86th-anniversary-today-170169">86th Air Force Day</a> at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad. The Indian Air Force came into existence on October 8, 1932.&nbsp;

"IAF is constantly endeavouring to minimise accidents by learning lessons from the past so as to preserve assets to meet any future challenge," Dhano said Monday.&nbsp;

The chief emphasised that aerospace safety is "one area where we need to" maintain a "constant vigil" as loss of aircraft in peacetime "is not only expensive, it diminishes our war time capability". &nbsp;

Dhanoa said the air force is inducting state-of-the-art simulators which are expected to enhance the quality of training imparted to air crew and also exposes them to realistic operational environments without endangering safety.

Due to legacy planes such as the MiG, a number of accidents have been reported in recent past.&nbsp;

In September this year, an IAF MiG-27 crashed near Jodhpur. The pilot ejected safely. In June, a MiG-21 fighter, which the air force is phasing out, crashed in Kangra killing its piolet. And only last week, a two-seater ML-130 microlight aircraft crashed in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.

Dhanoa also spoke about modernisation of the fleet. He said India is in the process of "acquiring new combat systems, upgrading and modernising existing inventory" of aircraft.&nbsp;

"The mid-life upgradation of Mirage 2000, MiG-29 and Jaguar fleet is already underway. Acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft, the S-400 missile systems, Apache attack helicopters and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters would further enhance our capabilities," said Dhanoa. &nbsp;

India is also in the process of building its own light combat aircraft — the Tejas. (The Tejas however has overshot a number of deadlines.)&nbsp;

Last week, India signed a deal to acquire five units of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia. The S-400 will add a dimension to New Delhi's defence architecture, especially in case of a two-front war with China and Pakistan.

The air force is also expanding engagements with friendly countries with participation in bilateral and multi-national air exercises. These include exercises with Australia, Russia, Israel, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

The Indian Air Force is undertaking proactive measures to minimise accidents caused by human error, IAF chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said Monday at the 86th Air Force Day at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad.

The Indian Air Force is undertaking proactive measures to minimise accidents caused by human error, IAF chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said Monday at the 86th Air Force Day at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad. The Indian Air Force came into existence on October 8, 1932. "IAF is constantly endeavouring to minimise accidents by learning lessons from the past so as to preserve assets to meet any future challenge," Dhano said Monday. The chief emphasised that aerospace safety is "one area where we need to" maintain a "constant vigil" as loss of aircraft in peacetime "is not only expensive, it diminishes our war time capability". Dhanoa said the air force is inducting state-of-the-art simulators which are expected to enhance the quality of training imparted to air crew and also exposes them to realistic operational environments without endangering safety. Due to legacy planes such as the MiG, a number of accidents have been reported in recent past. In September this year, an IAF MiG-27 crashed near Jodhpur. The pilot ejected safely. In June, a MiG-21 fighter, which the air force is phasing out, crashed in Kangra killing its piolet. And only last week, a two-seater ML-130 microlight aircraft crashed in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh. Dhanoa also spoke about modernisation of the fleet. He said India is in the process of "acquiring new combat systems, upgrading and modernising existing inventory" of aircraft. "The mid-life upgradation of Mirage 2000, MiG-29 and Jaguar fleet is already underway. Acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft, the S-400 missile systems, Apache attack helicopters and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters would further enhance our capabilities," said Dhanoa. India is also in the process of building its own light combat aircraft — the Tejas. (The Tejas however has overshot a number of deadlines.) Last week, India signed a deal to acquire five units of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia. The S-400 will add a dimension to New Delhi's defence architecture, especially in case of a two-front war with China and Pakistan. The air force is also expanding engagements with friendly countries with participation in bilateral and multi-national air exercises. These include exercises with Australia, Russia, Israel, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Need to minimise accidents caused by human error: Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa

The Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated its 86th anniversary on Monday, highlighting the "untiring efforts and supreme sacrifices" made by its personnel, the Defence Ministry said.

The celebrations was marked by a stellar show in the skies by various aircraft at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad.

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Indian Air Force Day celebrations underway at Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad <a href="https://t.co/eQnMgcOrca">pic.twitter.com/eQnMgcOrca</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1049134861628391424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi extended their greetings on the occasion of the 86th Air Force Day.

"We proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force. They safeguard our skies with courage and commitment. The resilience, tenacity and zeal of our valiant air warriors is a source of pride for every Indian," the President tweeted.

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On Air Force Day, we proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force. They safeguard our skies with courage and commitment. The resilience, tenacity and zeal of our valiant air warriors is a source of pride for every Indian <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1049110016530296838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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PM Modi said: "A grateful nation salutes our valorous air warriors and their families on Air Force Day. They keep our skies safe and are at the forefront of serving humanity in times of disasters. Proud of the Indian Air Force!" He also attached a video of IAF jets along with the tweet.

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A grateful nation salutes our valorous air warriors and their families on Air Force Day. They keep our skies safe and are at the forefront of serving humanity in times of disasters. Proud of the Indian Air Force! <a href="https://t.co/7zpdzotATS">pic.twitter.com/7zpdzotATS</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1049144422724775936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In the last eight decades, IAF has technologically evolved and grown in strength to thwart any threat to the nation. It is committed to safeguarding the Indian skies and has played a key role in providing assistance to the people of the country during any natural calamity, an IAF spokesperson said.

The professionalism displayed by air-warriors during various international exercises reaffirms IAF’s ability to be an effective net security provider.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated its 86th anniversary on Monday, highlighting the "untiring efforts and supreme sacrifices" made by its personnel, the Defence Ministry said.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated its 86th anniversary on Monday, highlighting the "untiring efforts and supreme sacrifices" made by its personnel, the Defence Ministry said. The celebrations was marked by a stellar show in the skies by various aircraft at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad. Indian Air Force Day celebrations underway at Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad pic.twitter.com/eQnMgcOrca — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 8, 2018 × President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi extended their greetings on the occasion of the 86th Air Force Day. "We proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force. They safeguard our skies with courage and commitment. The resilience, tenacity and zeal of our valiant air warriors is a source of pride for every Indian," the President tweeted. On Air Force Day, we proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force. They safeguard our skies with courage and commitment. The resilience, tenacity and zeal of our valiant air warriors is a source of pride for every Indian #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 8, 2018 × PM Modi said: "A grateful nation salutes our valorous air warriors and their families on Air Force Day. They keep our skies safe and are at the forefront of serving humanity in times of disasters. Proud of the Indian Air Force!" He also attached a video of IAF jets along with the tweet. A grateful nation salutes our valorous air warriors and their families on Air Force Day. They keep our skies safe and are at the forefront of serving humanity in times of disasters. Proud of the Indian Air Force! pic.twitter.com/7zpdzotATS — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 8, 2018 × In the last eight decades, IAF has technologically evolved and grown in strength to thwart any threat to the nation. It is committed to safeguarding the Indian skies and has played a key role in providing assistance to the people of the country during any natural calamity, an IAF spokesperson said. The professionalism displayed by air-warriors during various international exercises reaffirms IAF’s ability to be an effective net security provider.

Indian Air Force celebrates 86th anniversary with stellar show in the skies

As the Indian Air Force <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-achieved-things-beyond-our-stated-objectives-air-chief-marshal-on-gagan-shakti-exercise-132330">closed the Gagan Shakti exercise</a>, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa addressing a press conference said India has "no intention" of global dominance.

The military exercise included long-range strike mission with SU30 aircraft engaging multiple targets in the 13-day exercise.

During the exercise, 13,000 sorties were carried out by Indian Air Force aircraft and helicopters. The main aim of the exercise was to test India's war preparedness in a war-like situation with Pakistan or China.

The exercise also focussed joint maritime air operations with the Indian Navy.

During the press conference, the IAF chief said: "Gagan Shakti conducted to exercise our resources. It was not against any country."

"What we did in exercise Gagan Shakti is that we have walked the mile," India's air chief added.

Speaking to reporters on India's global ambitions, Dhanoa said: "We don't aim at global dominance because as a country, we need to get economically well-off. We're helpful to our neigbours in any situation."

"We have no intention of domination," he declared.

"Pakistan will keep the Kashmir part boiling. It will continue to attack the military," &nbsp;Dhanoa told reporters, adding," any such attack may have unintended consequences which may result in an escalation."

"In most countries, state has an army. But in Pakistan, the army has a state. If peace were to come,it will lose several of its privileges," he said.

"I can't afford to put my children in Ivy League colleges & settle down in London. Like many of their generals do," he added.

"For China, the geography works against them, especially in the Tibetan autonomous region. Over the past few years, we have seen significant increase in deployment of aircraft & air crew in Tibetan autonomous region," Dhanoa informed.

During the Gagan Shakti exercise 13,000 sorties were carried out by Indian Air Force aircraft and helicopters

As the Indian Air Force closed the Gagan Shakti exercise, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa addressing a press conference said India has "no intention" of global dominance. The military exercise included long-range strike mission with SU30 aircraft engaging multiple targets in the 13-day exercise. During the exercise, 13,000 sorties were carried out by Indian Air Force aircraft and helicopters. The main aim of the exercise was to test India's war preparedness in a war-like situation with Pakistan or China. The exercise also focussed joint maritime air operations with the Indian Navy. During the press conference, the IAF chief said: "Gagan Shakti conducted to exercise our resources. It was not against any country." "What we did in exercise Gagan Shakti is that we have walked the mile," India's air chief added. Speaking to reporters on India's global ambitions, Dhanoa said: "We don't aim at global dominance because as a country, we need to get economically well-off. We're helpful to our neigbours in any situation." "We have no intention of domination," he declared. "Pakistan will keep the Kashmir part boiling. It will continue to attack the military," Dhanoa told reporters, adding," any such attack may have unintended consequences which may result in an escalation." "In most countries, state has an army. But in Pakistan, the army has a state. If peace were to come,it will lose several of its privileges," he said. "I can't afford to put my children in Ivy League colleges & settle down in London. Like many of their generals do," he added. "For China, the geography works against them, especially in the Tibetan autonomous region. Over the past few years, we have seen significant increase in deployment of aircraft & air crew in Tibetan autonomous region," Dhanoa informed.

'We don't aim at global dominance, helpful towards our neigbours,' says IAF chief post-Gagan Shakti exercise

The vintage <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-world-war-ii-era-dakota-finally-home-bound-to-india-132589">World War II Dakota DC31 aircraft </a>arrived in Air Force station Jamnagar, Gujarat on Wednesday.

The transport aircraft will fly into Air Force Station Hindan in Ghaziabad on Thursday to be inducted in into the vintage fleet of the Indian Air Force.

The plane had begun its journey from Coventry in the UK and reached Jamnagar today.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dakotahomebound?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dakotahomebound</a> : The Dakota <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VP905?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VP905</a> carried out an overshoot & familiarised with the airfield, before touching down on the home ground. To honour the old war horse in its new residence, induction ceremony is scheduled on 04 May 18 at Air Force Station Hindan. <a href="https://t.co/ETHEx0kxmN">pic.twitter.com/ETHEx0kxmN</a>
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/989144718507327494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The aircraft has been gifted to the IAF by BJP Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar, whose father Air Commodore M K Chandrasekhar was a Dakota pilot in the IAF.

"Post completion of custom formalities, the aircraft is planned to ferry from Jamnagar to Hindan Air Force Station on April 26, for its induction into the Vintage Aircraft Fleet of the IAF formed in 2012,", the Defence ministry said in a statement.

The iconic transport airport operated in the Indian Air Force till 1988, however it rose again after it was taken out of scrap seven years ago by Chandresekhar and gifted to the Air Force.

The plane had played a central role in India's push to transport troops to Kashmir during the Indo-Pak war in 1948.

The induction ceremony for the Dakota is slated to take place on May 4th at Hindan air base in Delhi.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DakotaHomebound?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DakotaHomebound</a> : The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dakota?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dakota</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VP905?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VP905</a> aircraft was received with lot of splendour at AFS Jamnagar, today. The crew is seen posing with the beautiful machine along with the Commander-in-chief SWAC, team Jamnagar & Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar MP Rajya Sabha. <a href="https://t.co/6Qm0EjwwhZ">pic.twitter.com/6Qm0EjwwhZ</a>
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/989140304967159809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

The iconic transport airport operated in the Indian Air Force till 1988.

The vintage World War II Dakota DC31 aircraft arrived in Air Force station Jamnagar, Gujarat on Wednesday. The transport aircraft will fly into Air Force Station Hindan in Ghaziabad on Thursday to be inducted in into the vintage fleet of the Indian Air Force. The plane had begun its journey from Coventry in the UK and reached Jamnagar today. #Dakotahomebound : The Dakota #VP905 carried out an overshoot & familiarised with the airfield, before touching down on the home ground. To honour the old war horse in its new residence, induction ceremony is scheduled on 04 May 18 at Air Force Station Hindan. pic.twitter.com/ETHEx0kxmN — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 25, 2018 × The aircraft has been gifted to the IAF by BJP Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar, whose father Air Commodore M K Chandrasekhar was a Dakota pilot in the IAF. "Post completion of custom formalities, the aircraft is planned to ferry from Jamnagar to Hindan Air Force Station on April 26, for its induction into the Vintage Aircraft Fleet of the IAF formed in 2012,", the Defence ministry said in a statement. The iconic transport airport operated in the Indian Air Force till 1988, however it rose again after it was taken out of scrap seven years ago by Chandresekhar and gifted to the Air Force. The plane had played a central role in India's push to transport troops to Kashmir during the Indo-Pak war in 1948. The induction ceremony for the Dakota is slated to take place on May 4th at Hindan air base in Delhi. #DakotaHomebound : The #Dakota #VP905 aircraft was received with lot of splendour at AFS Jamnagar, today. The crew is seen posing with the beautiful machine along with the Commander-in-chief SWAC, team Jamnagar & Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar MP Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/6Qm0EjwwhZ — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 25, 2018 ×

Watch: Dakota arrives in India to be inducted into IAF's vintage fleet

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to conduct its biggest ever combat exercise along Pakistan and China borders.

The exercise- Gagan Shakti, 2018- will be taking place between April 10 to 23. Depending upon the order of the Air Force Chief, the Air Force will mobilise its assets in the war scenario within 48 hours of the orders.

Meanwhile, the IAF is readying to mobilise its entire asset and equipment inventory to conduct its biggest exercise ever.

IAF will mobilise more than 1100 combat, transport and rotary wing (helicopter) aircraft in order to practice the real time scenario, to be conducted day and night, of Combat with the enemy encompassing along Pakistan border in the Western areas and along China border in the Northern areas.

For the first time, the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will be taking part in the exercise and will perform both the offensive and defensive roles. Navy's Maritime Combat Aircraft MiG 29s will also take part.

As per the protocol, Pakistan has been informed. The scale of the exercise can be gauged from the fact that just from Air Force more than 300 officers and more than 15,000 airmen have been mobilised. Joint operations scenario with the Army and the Navy are part of this exercise.

The pan India synergised exercise will showcase the multi spectrum capabilities, both offensive and defensive. The IAF will conduct all terrain operations- desert, high altitude, maritime scenarios and special operations- in the real time.

Mobility and resilience of air combat operations will be visible from the fact that Aircraft from Bhuj in Gujarat will fly towards Assam and conduct bombing and simultaneously aircraft from Assam will fly towards deserts of Rajasthan and will do bombing. Also, inter valley transfer of troops and equipments will be performed.

A senior IAF officer on the condition of anonymity told ANI, "The exercise will cover from the heights of 20,000 ft to the extreme hot areas of the desert and also the maritime scenarios. We will be utilising all the Air Force firing ranges. The IAF will be conducting landing at Advanced Landing Grounds, Improvised Airstrips and helipads."

During the exercise, 1100 aircraft will be flying three-four sorties in a day with the cumulative sorties reaching to the count of 3300 to 4400 in a day.

In order to maintain optimum turn around, keeping the aircraft Combat ready Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will be placing their technicians at the maintenance bases. Apart from the Defence assets there is participation of the railways and civil aviation manpower and machinery.

The exercise- Gagan Shakti, 2018- will be taking place from April 10 to 23. Depending upon the order of the Air Force Chief, the Air Force will mobilise its assets in the war scenario within 48 hours of the orders

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to conduct its biggest ever combat exercise along Pakistan and China borders. The exercise- Gagan Shakti, 2018- will be taking place between April 10 to 23. Depending upon the order of the Air Force Chief, the Air Force will mobilise its assets in the war scenario within 48 hours of the orders. Meanwhile, the IAF is readying to mobilise its entire asset and equipment inventory to conduct its biggest exercise ever. IAF will mobilise more than 1100 combat, transport and rotary wing (helicopter) aircraft in order to practice the real time scenario, to be conducted day and night, of Combat with the enemy encompassing along Pakistan border in the Western areas and along China border in the Northern areas. For the first time, the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will be taking part in the exercise and will perform both the offensive and defensive roles. Navy's Maritime Combat Aircraft MiG 29s will also take part. As per the protocol, Pakistan has been informed. The scale of the exercise can be gauged from the fact that just from Air Force more than 300 officers and more than 15,000 airmen have been mobilised. Joint operations scenario with the Army and the Navy are part of this exercise. The pan India synergised exercise will showcase the multi spectrum capabilities, both offensive and defensive. The IAF will conduct all terrain operations- desert, high altitude, maritime scenarios and special operations- in the real time. Mobility and resilience of air combat operations will be visible from the fact that Aircraft from Bhuj in Gujarat will fly towards Assam and conduct bombing and simultaneously aircraft from Assam will fly towards deserts of Rajasthan and will do bombing. Also, inter valley transfer of troops and equipments will be performed. A senior IAF officer on the condition of anonymity told ANI, "The exercise will cover from the heights of 20,000 ft to the extreme hot areas of the desert and also the maritime scenarios. We will be utilising all the Air Force firing ranges. The IAF will be conducting landing at Advanced Landing Grounds, Improvised Airstrips and helipads." During the exercise, 1100 aircraft will be flying three-four sorties in a day with the cumulative sorties reaching to the count of 3300 to 4400 in a day. In order to maintain optimum turn around, keeping the aircraft Combat ready Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will be placing their technicians at the maintenance bases. Apart from the Defence assets there is participation of the railways and civil aviation manpower and machinery.

IAF to conduct biggest combat exercise along Pak, China borders

On 19 February, Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi created history by becoming the first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly solo.&nbsp;

The flying officer is among the first batch of three women officers who were commissioned as fighter pilots in the IAF in June 2016.&nbsp;

Chaturvedi flew solo in a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft over Jamnagar Air Base on February 19 for around 30 minutes becoming the first woman to do so.&nbsp;

Chaturvedi completed her training at Hyderabad Air Force Academy.&nbsp;

She did her schooling from Deoland, a small town in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh.&nbsp;

Completing her Bachelors in Technology from Banasthali University, Rajasthan in 2014, she passed the Indian Air Force exam.&nbsp;

Chaturvedi always wanted to conquer the skies and hence joined the Flying Club in her college. She also likes to play chess, table tennis and to do sketching, painting.&nbsp;

Chaturvedi&#39;s achievement has put India on the list of the countries such as Britain, the United States, Israel, and Pakistan, where women are allowed to fly fighter jets.

On Thursday, the first time journalists were allowed access to her since she throttled up alone in a MiG-21 fighter plane just over two weeks ago.

Asked about how does it feel being the first female fighter pilot, Flying Officer Avani says, &quot;Machine doesn&#39;t know your gender. &nbsp;Be it a boy or a girl, you&#39;ve to be competent, the Indian Air Force doesn&#39;t discriminate. To make the 30 mins of sortie work you&#39;ve to do a lot of groundwork, the contribution of the team that supports is immensely important.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;ve done my schooling from a Hindi medium school. The journey of being a fighter pilot has been about a lot of learning. I&#39;m still in the training phase of being an independent pilot,&quot; Avani added.

Chaturvedi's achievement has put India on the list of the countries such as Britain, the United States, Israel, and Pakistan, where women are allowed to fly fighter jets

On 19 February, Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi created history by becoming the first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly solo. The flying officer is among the first batch of three women officers who were commissioned as fighter pilots in the IAF in June 2016. Chaturvedi flew solo in a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft over Jamnagar Air Base on February 19 for around 30 minutes becoming the first woman to do so. Chaturvedi completed her training at Hyderabad Air Force Academy. She did her schooling from Deoland, a small town in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh. Completing her Bachelors in Technology from Banasthali University, Rajasthan in 2014, she passed the Indian Air Force exam. Chaturvedi always wanted to conquer the skies and hence joined the Flying Club in her college. She also likes to play chess, table tennis and to do sketching, painting. Chaturvedi's achievement has put India on the list of the countries such as Britain, the United States, Israel, and Pakistan, where women are allowed to fly fighter jets. On Thursday, the first time journalists were allowed access to her since she throttled up alone in a MiG-21 fighter plane just over two weeks ago. Asked about how does it feel being the first female fighter pilot, Flying Officer Avani says, "Machine doesn't know your gender. Be it a boy or a girl, you've to be competent, the Indian Air Force doesn't discriminate. To make the 30 mins of sortie work you've to do a lot of groundwork, the contribution of the team that supports is immensely important." "I've done my schooling from a Hindi medium school. The journey of being a fighter pilot has been about a lot of learning. I'm still in the training phase of being an independent pilot," Avani added.

Fighter jet doesn't care if pilot a man or woman: Avani Chaturvedi

Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi created history when she become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft, an IAF official said.

&quot;Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo when she flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight,&quot; PTI quoting an official stated.

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She undertook the sortie from IAF&#39;s Jamnagar base on Monday, he said.

Three women pilots, Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, had undergone strenuous training programme to fly fighter jets.

They were commissioned as flying officers in July 2016, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis.

The IAF has already selected the next batch of three women trainee pilots for the fighter stream.&nbsp;

Three women pilots, Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, had undergone strenuous training programme to fly fighter jets.

Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi created history when she become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft, an IAF official said. "Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo when she flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight," PTI quoting an official stated. First Indian woman fighter pilot Avani Chaturvedi goes solo Read @ANI story | https://t.co/fwrG8wGCgI pic.twitter.com/mRyuc6mOT7 — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) February 21, 2018 × She undertook the sortie from IAF's Jamnagar base on Monday, he said. Three women pilots, Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, had undergone strenuous training programme to fly fighter jets. They were commissioned as flying officers in July 2016, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis. The IAF has already selected the next batch of three women trainee pilots for the fighter stream.

Avani Chaturvedi becomes first Indian woman to fly fighter jet

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