UNITS INVOLVED IN BALAKOT, PAK DOGFIGHT TO BE FETED

The Indian Air Force units involved in the cross-border strikes against a terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26 and the dogfight with the Pakistan Air Force the following day will be awarded citations by Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on October 8, two officers familiar with the development said on Sunday. The IAF commemorates October 8 as its founding day.

The Number 9 Mirage2000 squadron, ‘Wolf Pack’, that carried out the Balakot raid; Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s Number 51 Squadron, ‘Sword Arms’; and Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal’s 601 Signal Unit will get the citations, one of the officers said. A citation is official praise for the actions of a unit.

The air strikes against the JeM base were India’s response to the suicide attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14.

Pakistan on Sunday violated the ceasefire by targeting forward posts and villages along the International border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in three districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. However, there was no report of any casualty in the Pakistani firing which took place along the IB in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, along the LoC in Digwar area of Poonch district and Nowshera and Laam in Rajouri district, the officials said. In the evening, Pakistani troops targeted Nowshera and Laam areas, prompting strong and effective retaliation, they said. Pakistani Rangers also targeted Manyari and Chadwal in Hiranagar sector, which was retaliated by the BSF.