India launches airstrikes into Pakistan

India’s foreign secretary said the country launched an airstrike into Pakistan, killing “a very large number of … terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis,”  in a statement released Tuesday. 

A Pakistani official confirmed on Twitter that the airstrike occurred, but said there were no casualties or infrastructure damage. 

Indian aircrafts’ intrusion across LOC in Muzafarabad Sector within AJ&K was 3-4 miles.Under forced hasty withdrawal aircrafts released payload which had free fall in open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties. Technical details and other important information to follow.

— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 26, 2019

{mosads} Pakistani villagers in Balakot, where the airstrike reportedly took place, told Reuters that they heard four loud bangs and that one person was wounded. 

The airstrike was in retaliation for an attack earlier this month allegedly conducted by terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) that killed 40 Indian officials, according to the foreign secretary’s statement. 

“India has been repeatedly urging Pakistan to take action against the JeM to prevent jihadis from being trained and armed inside Pakistan,” the foreign secretary said in the statement. “Pakistan has taken no concrete actions to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil.”

Pakistan’s foreign minister said the country has a “right to self-defense and a befitting response” to the airstrike, which he labeled as Indian aggression, Pakistani news outlet Geo TV reported Tuesday. 

Tensions are high between the countries, which have taken their envoys from the other country and threatened violence, according to NPR.