Pakistan on Tuesday violated the ceasefire at the LoC in Jammu-Kashmir hours after Indian Air Force fighter jets bombed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist camps in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Indian forces gave a befitting response to the violation.

Pakistan shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district today. Reports say that this was the fourth consecutive day of ceasefire violation.

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Officials said that the Pakistan Army resorted to small arms firing along the LoC in Nowshera sector on Monday night. There was no casualty on the Indian side. They had violated the ceasefire agreement in the same sector on Sunday as well by shelling with mortars and firing small arms.

The Pakistan army has resorted to firing and mortar shelling on forward posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts on seven of the last eight days.

In a major pre-emptive strike, the Indian Air Force (IAF) dropped multiple 1000 kg laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed’s biggest camp in Balakot. The mission was carried out to avenge the 14 February Pulwama terror attack.

This was the first time the IAF fighter jets were sent across the LoC since the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

Reports say that 12 IAF Mirage 2000 fighter jets took off from Gwalior for the mission which started 3.30 am. The mission was over by 4.06 am.

At 5.12 am, Pakistani Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor put out a tweet confirmed that IAF fighter jets did cross the LoC.

In a statement the MEA said that India hit the “biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot”.

“In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated.  This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, Chief of JeM,” Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan rose significantly following the Pulwama terror attack and the increasing ceasefire violations from across the border.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, a day after the attack, assured the nation of a strong response to Pakistan.

“Our neighbouring country has forgotten that this is a new India. The barbarity displayed by the terror groups and their masters will not go unpunished,” the PM had said at a rally in Jhansi.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had on 19 February warned of retaliation in case of an attack by India.

“If you (Indian govt) think you will attack us and we will not think of retaliating, we will retaliate. We all know starting a war is in the hands of humans, where it will lead us only God knows,” he said.

Meanwhile, all air forces bases in India and the BSF have been put on high alert following the IAF air strike on Pakistan.