Only 7 people knew of air strike timing

NEW DELHI: Between 3.40am and 3.53am on Tuesday, 12 days after the Pulwama suicide bombing by a Jaish-e-mohammad (JEM) terrorist killed 40 CRPF troopers, four Mirage 2000i fighters of the Tiger Squadron launched either Crystal Maze missiles or SPICE 2000 smart bombs– the aircraft were equipped with both – at the Markaz Syed Ahmad Shaheed training camp at Balakot, Manshera, Pakistan, killing, according to Indian intelligence officials, 325 militants and terror recruits.

According to multiple officials HT spoke to, in an attempt to understand the planning behind the operation, it was always clear that India would respond to the Pulwama attack. Soon after the February 14 attack, they said, India’s external intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) was asked to look for targets in Pakistan. RAW presented six targets.

On February 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the strike.

According to intelligence officials, only seven people knew of this decision – Modi, Doval, the three service chiefs, and the heads of R&AW and the Intelligence Bureau.

Starting February 22, the Indian Air Force started flying night sorties from various frontline bases in an attempt to confuse the Pakistanis. On February 25, intelligence inputs suggested the presence of a large number of JEM terrorists, around 300-350, in the camp at Balakot.

The same evening it was decided to go ahead with the strike immediately. Modi knew by late evening that an attack could happen in the next few hours.

AFTER THE R&AW CAME UP WITH A LIST OF POSSIBLE TARGETS, PM MODI APPROVED THE ACTION ON FEBRUARY 18