February 26, 2025, marks the sixth anniversary of the Balakot air strike.
The cross-border operation into Pakistan was a major event in India’s campaign against cross-border terrorism, carried out in response to the deadly Pulwama terror attack.
The Balakot air strike is remembered as a key moment in India-Pakistan relations– one that confirmed New Delhi’s willingness to take decisive military action against terror infrastructure.
Pulwama attack sparks tensions
The backdrop to the Balakot air strike was the February 14, 2019, suicide bombing in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
On that fateful afternoon, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy carrying over 2,000 personnel was travelling along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Suddenly, a suicide bomber, later identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, drove an explosive-laden car into one of the buses, triggering a massive explosion.
This attack resulted in the tragic deaths of 40 CRPF personnel, making it one of the deadliest assaults on Indian security forces in recent history.
The Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack, sparking nationwide outrage and escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
In response, India vowed retaliation, departing from previous restrained approaches to similar provocations.
Balakot strike: A bold military operation
In the early hours of February 26, 2019, at approximately 3:30 AM, 12 Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 fighter jets took off from airbases in India. They crossed the Line of Control (LoC), executing a precision strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp in Balakot, located deep within Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Balakot facility was believed to be one of JeM’s largest training centres, where operatives were trained for fidayeen (suicide) missions.
Intelligence inputs had reportedly indicated that it housed a significant number of militants, including senior commanders.
The operation was meticulously planned: the strike package flew at low altitudes to evade radar systems, and advanced surveillance and intelligence capabilities were employed to ensure situational awareness throughout the mission.
