 "Six years of Balakot airstrike: Here's how India's bold military operation hit Pakistan out of the blue")
This day, February 26, 2025, marks the sixth anniversary of the Balakot air strike.
The cross-border operation into Pakistan was a major event in India’s campaign against cross-border terrorism, carried out in response to the deadly Pulwama terror attack.
The Balakot air strike is remembered as a key moment in India-Pakistan relations– one that confirmed New Delhi’s willingness to take decisive military action against terror infrastructure.
Here’s a look at what happened.
Pulwama attack sparks tensions
The backdrop to the Balakot air strike was the February 14, 2019, suicide bombing in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
On that fateful afternoon, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy carrying over 2,000 personnel was travelling along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Suddenly, a suicide bomber, later identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, drove an explosive-laden car into one of the buses, triggering a massive explosion.
This attack resulted in the tragic deaths of 40 CRPF personnel, making it one of the deadliest assaults on Indian security forces in recent history.
The Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack, sparking nationwide outrage and escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
In response, India vowed retaliation, departing from previous restrained approaches to similar provocations.
Balakot strike: A bold military operation
In the early hours of February 26, 2019, at approximately 3:30 AM, 12 Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 fighter jets took off from airbases in India. They crossed the Line of Control (LoC), executing a precision strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp in Balakot, located deep within Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Balakot facility was believed to be one of JeM’s largest training centres, where operatives were trained for fidayeen (suicide) missions.
Intelligence inputs had reportedly indicated that it housed a significant number of militants, including senior commanders.
The operation was meticulously planned: the strike package flew at low altitudes to evade radar systems, and advanced surveillance and intelligence capabilities were employed to ensure situational awareness throughout the mission.
The Mirage 2000 jets were equipped with Israeli-made SPICE 2000 precision-guided munitions (PGMs), chosen for their high accuracy and ability to inflict maximum damage on hardened targets.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIt was the first time since the 1971 war that Indian fighter jets had crossed the LoC to conduct air strikes.
The episode sent a clear message: India would not tolerate terrorism exported from across the border.
Pakistan’s failure to respond
Remarkably, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was entirely caught off guard.
Despite the presence of PAF air defence systems and fighter jets stationed at nearby bases, Pakistani forces failed to detect the incoming Indian formation in real time.
The PAF only scrambled its fighters after the IAF strike package had already completed its mission and returned safely to Indian airspace.
The incursion was notable for its depth into Pakistani territory– beyond Pakistan-administered Kashmir– and for showing India’s ability to conduct strategic operations.
The Abhinandan episode
The following day, in a retaliatory attempt, Pakistan launched its own aerial operation, codenamed Op Swift Retort.
The PAF deployed a mix of fighter jets, including F-16 Fighting Falcons, JF-17 Thunder multirole fighters, and Mirage III aircraft.
In the ensuing aerial dogfight, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman (now Group Captain Abhinandan) of the IAF, flying a MiG-21 Bison, engaged PAF jets that had crossed the LoC. Varthaman managed to shoot down a Pakistani F-16—an assertion supported by radar evidence and parts of an AIM-120C AMRAAM missile recovered on the Indian side of the LoC, a munition compatible only with the F-16 in Pakistan’s inventory.
However, Varthaman’s MiG-21 was also hit during the engagement, forcing him to eject. He landed in Pakistan-administered territory and was captured by Pakistani forces.
India’s firm diplomatic and military posture led to his release within 60 hours, an outcome widely seen as a diplomatic win for New Delhi.
Pakistan’s contradictory narratives
Pakistan’s response to the Balakot air strike included several conflicting statements.
Initially, Islamabad claimed no strike had taken place. As evidence of the operation emerged, Pakistani officials adjusted their narrative, asserting that the Indian Air Force had only damaged trees and caused no casualties.
International satellite imagery and independent analyses, however, pointed to strikes on structures consistent with JeM’s facilities. While India maintained that the operation achieved its intended objectives, Pakistan’s shifting stance was a clear attempt to hide the PAF’s embarrassment.
Implications for regional security
The Balakot air strike redefined the rules of engagement between India and Pakistan, demonstrating India’s readiness to carry out cross-border operations in response to terror attacks without being constrained by fears of nuclear escalation.
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