Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang, reacted to India’s ‘pre-emptive air strike across the Line of Control’ on Tuesday, said that it hoped the two countries will maintain “restraint” and “do more to improve bilateral relations.”
Kang said: “India and Pakistan are both important countries in South Asia. Sound relations and cooperation serves the interest of both countries for peace and stability in South Asia.” Further, he said: “We hope the two countries can keep restraint and do more to improve bilateral relations.”
Meanwhile, while speaking at a rally in Rajasthan where he was addressing ex-servicemen, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, reacting to the strike, said: I’m giving you the confidence that India is in safe hands… I understand your enthusiasm today… I won’t let India’s head bow down.”
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said on Twitter: “JeM hit Indian forces & claimed the attack. In turn Indian forces hit JeM & owned that air strike. It’s now time for cooler heads to prevail. War is never an ideal option to resolve disputes. Let’s go back to the India-Saudi joint statement of last week.”
JeM hit Indian forces & claimed the attack. In turn Indian forces hit JeM & owned that air strike. It’s now time for cooler heads to prevail. War is never an ideal option to resolve disputes. Let’s go back to the India-Saudi joint statement of last week.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 26, 2019
Balakot police chief Saghir Hussain Shah told The Associated Press that he had sent teams to the area where the bombs reportedly hit, which he described as a mostly deserted wooded area. “There are no casualties, there are no damages on the ground because of the dropping of the bombs,” he said.
Earlier, India has said that they carried out a pre-dawn strike on a ‘militant camp’ across the Line of Control soon after Pakistan army said that Indian fighter jets were forced to leave after they crossed the LoC in Muzaffarabad sector.
According to reports, the strike was carried out at around 3:30 this morning by 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets. The aircraft dropped, according to reports, ‘1,000 kg laser-guided bombs on a major militant camp across the Line of Control, completely destroying it’, news agency ANI reported, quoting Air Force sources.
Earlier, Pakistan Army claimed that the Indian military planes “intruded” from the Muzaffarabad sector but were forced to go back after Pakistan Air Force “immediately scrambled”.
