Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 27 February 2019
India strikes inside Pakistan after deadly Kashmir attack

By RIAZ KHAN Minister Narendra Modi is in
BALAKOT, Pakistan (AP) — the middle of a re-election
A pre-dawn airstrike inside campaign.
Pakistan that India said Addressing a rally of former
targeted a terrorist train- soldier's in the Indian state
ing camp and killed a "very of Rajasthan hours after the
large number" of militants airstrike, Modi said India
ratcheted up tensions on was in "safe hands."
Tuesday between the two "I vow that I will not let the
nuclear-armed rivals at country bow down," he
odds over the disputed ter- said.
ritory of Kashmir. China, a close ally of Paki-
Islamabad said there were stan, urged both sides to
no casualties in the strike show restraint.
near the town of Balakot, "We hope that both India
close to the border with and Pakistan can ... take
Pakistan's sector of Kashmir, actions that will help stabi-
where residents said loud lize the situation in the re-
explosions woke them up, gion and help to improve
rattling their homes. mutual relations," said Chi-
"It was the middle of na's Foreign Ministry spokes-
the night, we were very man Lu Kang.
scared," one resident, 20- Pakistani Kashmir lawyers hold banners during a protest in Muzafarabad, capital of Pakistani Insurgents in the Indian-
year old Mohammad Ab- Kashmir, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. controlled Kashmir have
bas to The Associated Associated Press been demanding either
Press. "We didn't think for outright independence or
a moment that it was from section of Kashmir earlier group Jaish-e-Mohammad abad sector of Pakistani- union with Pakistan. India
planes but the explosions this month killed more than claimed responsibility for controlled Kashmir. He said routinely accuses Pakistan
were very powerful." 40 Indian soldiers. Pakistan the bombing. The bomber, Pakistan scrambled fight- of arming and training mili-
Pakistan's military cor- has denied involvement in who made a video before ers and the Indian jets "re- tants who cross the moun-
doned off the area and the attack but vowed to re- the attack, was a resident leased payload in haste" tainous Himalayan region.
kept reporters about a kilo- spond to any Indian military of Indian-controlled sector near Balakot. Kashmir has been the
meter (half a mile) from the operation against it. of Kashmir. India's foreign secretary, cause of two wars between
bombing site. Kashmir is split between the Pakistan's military spokes- Vijay Gokhale, told report- the uneasy neighbors. They
The airstrike was the latest two countries but claimed man, Maj. Gen Asif Gha- ers in New Delhi that Indian fought a third war in 1979
escalation since a deadly by each in its entirety. The foor, said Indian planes fighter jets targeted Jaish- over East Pakistan, which
suicide bombing in India's Pakistan-based militant crossed into the Muzafar- e-Mohammad camps in gained independence
a pre-emptive strike after with the help of India and
intelligence indicated an- became Bangladesh.
other attack was being Pakistan has outlawed
planned. Jaish-e-Mohammad and
"Acting on intelligence, In- seized its properties in south
dia early today stuck the Punjab's Bawahalpur area,
biggest training camp of including religious schools
Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bal- and mosques. India has
akot," he said. "In this oper- demanded that Jaish-
ation a very large number e-Mohammad's leader,
of Jaish-e-Mohammad ter- Azhar Masood, be listed as
rorists, trainers, senior com- a terrorist by the United Na-
manders and jihadis being tions, but has been stymied
trained ... were eliminated." by China.
Balakot police chief Saghir Pakistan's Foreign Minister
Hussain Shah said he had Shah Mahmood Qureshi
sent teams to the area condemned Tuesday's in-
where the Indian bombs cursion, saying New Delhi
reportedly hit, which he de- had "endangered" peace
scribed as a mostly desert- in the region for political
ed wooded area. "There gains.
are no casualties, there Pakistan's Prime Minister
are no damages on the Imran Khan dismissed In-
ground," he said. dia's account of bombing
There was no immediate a terrorist training camp as
explanation for the differ- "self-serving, reckless and
ing accounts, but India fictitious." Earlier this month,
and Pakistan routinely con- Khan had authorized the
tradict one another. army to "respond decisive-
The Feb. 14 attack in In- ly and comprehensively
dian-ruled Kashmir was to any aggression or mis-
the worst attack on Indian adventure" by India, after
forces since the start of the New Delhi vowed a "jaw-
1989 insurgency in Kashmir breaking response" to the
and came as Indian Prime Kashmir suicide bombing.q