On 14th February 2019, a dastardly terror attack robbed India of more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. Since then, the country and its citizens waited anxiously for the government to take adequate steps in a bid to avenge the lost souls. And, on 26th February, India struck a major blow to the notorious Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which was responsible for the ghastly suicide strike in Pulwama.

In the wee hours of Tuesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed 12 of its Mirage 2000 fighter jets that crossed the border and carried out swift airstrikes to eliminate multiple terror camps and launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan. The Indian jets dropped bombs weighing 1,000 kgs (in total) in a 21-minute operation that resulted in the elimination of Jaish's biggest terror camp in Balakot.

According to a statement issued by Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, India targeted the terror camps and avoided the areas that were occupied by civilians. As per "credible intelligence" JeM was attempting another suicide terror attack in various part of the country and the fidayeen jihadis were being trained for this purpose which made India's pre-emptive strike absolutely necessary.

#India struck biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot; a very large number of terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and fidayeen jihadis were eliminated: Sh Vijay Gokhale, Foreign Secretary pic.twitter.com/D8kk4gWfWI

— PIB India (@PIB_India) February 26, 2019

"In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of Maulana Masood Azhar, Chief of JeM," the Foreign Secretary revealed.

It was the first cross-border airstrike that India has carried out in nearly five decades. The last such action was during the Bangladesh war in 1971. Thus, when the news surfaced on television and social media platforms early on Tuesday, the Indians across the globe hailed the Indian Air Force for their airstrike. 

The Indian sports fraternity, too, joined the chorus in saluting the brave fighter pilots who successfully carried out the retaliatory attack.

JAI HIND, IAF ð®ð³ @IAF_MCC @adgpi #IndiaStrikesAgain #IndiaStrikesBack #IndiaStrikes

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) February 26, 2019

Big salute to our #IndianAirForce ðð®ð³.... #IndiaStrikesBack .. Jai Hind

— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) February 26, 2019

हम शाà¤à¤¤à¤¿à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤¿à¤¯ हà¥à¤, तॠà¤à¤¤à¤à¤ à¤à¤¾ मà¥à¤à¤¹à¤¤à¥à¤¡à¤¼ à¤à¤µà¤¾à¤¬ दà¥à¤¨à¥ à¤à¤¾ à¤à¤à¥à¤¬à¤¾ भॠरà¤à¤¤à¥ हà¥à¤à¥¤ à¤à¤¯ हिनà¥à¤¦, à¤à¤¯ भारत #SurgicalStrike2 #AirStrike #IndianAirForce@PMOIndia @narendramodi @DefenceMinIndia @IAF_MCC

— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) February 26, 2019

Our niceness should never be comprehended as our weakness.
I salute the IAF, Jai Hind ð®ð³

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 26, 2019

Saluting the #IndianAirForce fighters for their valor, courage and timely action. ð https://t.co/CNPmH28mnz

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) February 26, 2019

Hats off to the #IndianAirForce for their strike against terror. Every Indian is proud of you! Jai Hind! ð®ð³#IndiaStrikesBack

— Kidambi Srikanth (@srikidambi) February 26, 2019

Salute to the Indian Air Force. Shaandaar #IndiaStrikesBack

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) February 26, 2019

Jai Hind ð®ð³

But next time, let's not wait for Pulwama or Uri to do what's needed to be done. Strike Out Terrorism.

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 26, 2019