New Delhi: Amid the growing clamour from the opposition and some quarters for proof of the Balakot air strike, families of jawans in Uttar Pradesh killed in Pulwama terror attack have demanded evidence about the impact of the strike.
Pradeep Kumar from Shamli and Ram Vakeel from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh died along with 38 other soldiers in the Pulwama attack. The families have demanded that the bodies of those killed in the air strike in Pakistan be made public to satisfy them that the brutal killings have been avenged.
“Like in our case (Pulwama) we saw someone ‘s hands, someone’s limbs, we need to see something from the other side. Someone took responsibility for the bomb attack almost immediately. I am sure the strikes have happened but where have they done it? There should be clear proof. Until there is proof, how can we accept it? Pakistan says there is no damage to them so how can we accept it unless there is proof,” questioned Ram Raksha, the sister of Ram Vakeel.
“Show us, only then we will get peace and know that my brother’s killing has been avenged.”
In Shamli, the mother of Pradeep Kumar also echoed the call for proof.
“We are not satisfied. So many sons died. We saw no one dead. There are no dead bodies on the other side. In fact, there was no confirmed news. We need to see this on TV. And we need to be told at our homes. We need to see the dead bodies of the terrorists,” said Sulelata, in her 80s.
The government has remained silent till now about the casualties in the air strike. Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said on Monday that it is up to the government to calculate the number of casualties as their job is only to bomb the target, which they have successfully executed.
Meanwhile, conflicting reports have emerged in the media about the success of the Balakot air strike, even as an audio tape which surfaced last week from Pakistan claimed that the air strike had indeed happened. A Jaish-e-Mohammad leader was purportedly heard saying they will launch more terror attacks on Indian soil in response to the air strike.
News agency Reuters claimed to have got access to high-resolution satellite images which showed that religious schools run by JeM in Balakot appeared to be still standing days after the Indian warplane hit the JeM centre.
The images produced by Planet Labs Inc, a San Francisco-based private satellite operator, show at least six buildings on the madrassa site on March 4, six days after the air strike.
The image is virtually unchanged from an April 2018 satellite photo of the facility. There are no discernible holes in the roofs of buildings, no signs of scorching, blown-out walls, displaced trees around the madrassa or other signs of an aerial attack.
However, Times Now has debunked the report. Quoting high-level sources in the government, it said the strike was successful. The channel also displayed images of the impact of the strike, which apparently showed that the buildings targetted have been flattened.
