Ina shocking revelation that has deeply embarrassed the Imran Khan administration,the former Pakistani diplomat Agha Hilaly admitted on a news television showthat 300 terrorists had died in the Balakot airstrike by India on February 26,2019.
"India crossed the international border and did an act of war in which atleast 300 were reported dead", Agha Hilaly said, adding that our target was different from theirs. We targetedtheir high command. That was our legitimate target because they are men of themilitary. We subconsciously accepted that a surgical strike -a limited action- did not result in any casualty. Now we have subconsciously told them that,whatever they will do, we'll do only that much and won't escalate," he further added.
Hilaly was speaking during a debate on a Pakistani Urdu channel. This flies in the face against the zero casualties claim made by Pakistan repeatedlysince.
Theair strike was in response to the brutal bombing against CRPF troopers inPulwama which killed 40 and stunned the nation. Jaish owned up to the deadlystrike and in bold retaliation, Indian Air Force jets attacked launch pads inKhyber Pakhtunkhwala.