Balakot terror camp active again, 27 terrorists being trained to attack India: Report

The Balakot terror camp, which used to serve as a launchpad of the Pakistan-based militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), is reportedly active again. Twenty-seven terrorists are believed to be training at the base that the Indian Air Force destroyed in a surgical strike in February 2019 that killed 300 militants.

India has received intel from counterterror operatives who believe that the 27 terrorists are preparing to launch terror attacks in India, reported the Hindustan Times.

The Balakot airstrikes were carried out by the IAF apparently in response to the killing of 40 troopers in the Pulwama bomb blast carried out by Jaish terrorists. The surgical strike was also intended to deter the Yusuf Azhar-led group from planning such attacks on the soil of India again. However, intel suggests they are preparing to attack India again.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Eight of the 27 terrorists receiving training are from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Among their instructors, two are from Pakistan’s Punjab region and three are from Afghanistan. Their training session is supposed to end by this week, after which they will attempt to cross the border and infiltrate into India, the report says.

Notably, arrangements are being made for a fresh offensive on India at a time when 40 JeM functionaries are in custody. It is believed that more than 100 terrorists are active in Kashmir Valley at present. Indian officials have informed that 59 of them are affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), 37 to JeM, and six belong to the Hizbul Mujahideen, as per the report.