Pakistan training 27 terrorists in Balakot to launch Pulwama-like attack in India: Sources

Ahead of the first anniversary of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14, Pakistan is training a group of terrorists in Balakot to carry out an attack in India, sources said on Friday. In a major conspiracy, Pakistan is training a total of 27 terrorists at Jaish-e-Mohammad's Balakot to infiltrate India and launch an attack, added the sources.

The sources further said terrorists from Afghanistan are giving training to the 27 terrorists and eight of them are from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to sources, the Balakot camp is being run by the son of terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar, Yusuf Azhar.

Two terrorists from Pakistan's Punjab and three from Afghanistan are giving training to these terrorists. This is one of the reasons why Pakistan has been violating ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) so that it can help the terrorists infiltrate and carry out the attacks.

India on February 14, 2020, will observe the first anniversary of the Pulwama suicide attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy which resulted in the martyrdom of 40 security personnel. India had avenged the Pulwama attack by conducting airstrikes at terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan with the Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 jets pounding JeM's terror training camp in Balakot on February 26, killing several terrorists.

The Narendra Modi government adopted a 'zero tolerance towards terrorism' policy and within a few months of the Pulwama incident, Indian security forces eliminated all JeM terrorists involved in the CRPF convoy attack. This was done through a combination of technical and human intelligence-based operations conducted by the armed forces in J&K.

After the Pulwama attack, four Jaish terrorists who were involved directly in the Pulwama attack were killed while four others were arrested in different operations. The intelligence inputs provided by the interrogation of at least 40 Jaish over-ground supporters in Kashmir Valley helped various counter-terrorism teams to crack down on the terror network in the region.

The Jaish terrorists killed by the security forces include Kamran, who was neutralised on February 18, 2019, Mushashir Ahmed Khan on March 11, 2019, and Sajjad Bhat on March 11, 2019.

Following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has been trying hard to carry out its nefarious activities in the Valley. The terrorist base of JeM in Balakot, Pakistan, that was demolished by an IAF airstrike, has been reactivated for the same reason.