Pak military won't forget that humiliation; Pakistan moving aircrafts to border fearing India's retaliation over Pahalgam?

NEW DELHI: The nation is in shock following the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 29 innocent people. This massacre, which occurred yesterday in the tourist area of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, is being compared to the 2019 Pulwama attack on February 14 that killed 40 soldiers. While the Pulwama attack targeted the military, this time it was innocent tourists who were the victims. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders making it clear that those responsible will not be spared, a retaliatory strike on terror camps could happen at any moment.

Amid this situation, reports indicate that Pakistan has tightened security along its borders. Numerous social media posts have emerged showing screenshots of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft flying from the Southern Air Command in Karachi towards the northern areas near Lahore and Rawalpindi. These screenshots, reportedly from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, have been circulated widely. India Today has reported on the matter.

These are some of the closest airbases of the Pakistan Air Force to India's northern borders and are also among its most critical. C-130E transport aircraft and small planes used for VIP travel and intelligence operations have reportedly been moved closer to the Indian border. However, there has been no official confirmation from Pakistan regarding this activity.

Pakistan is well aware of India’s response to Pulwama in February 2019, when Indian fighter jets crossed the air border and bombed three Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps, killing 325 terrorists. That retaliatory strike was a major embarrassment for the Pakistani military. Fears of a similar response to the Pahalgam attack may be the reason behind the increased security along Pakistan’s border.

In retaliation for the massacre of 40 CRPF personnel, Indian fighter jets launched an airstrike on February 26, 2019, just 12 days after the Pulwama attack. They crossed into Pakistan and destroyed three Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps with bombs. Among the 325 killed were key terrorists, including Yusuf Azhar — the brother-in-law and close aide of Jaish leader Masood Azhar — along with other top militants wanted by India.

The operation, which lasted 21 minutes from 3:45 AM to 4:06 AM, involved 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets dropping 1,000 kg of precision laser-guided bombs. The major Jaish training centres in Balakot, and camps in Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, were destroyed. The first strike was carried out in Muzaffarabad.