COIMBATORE – Indian Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Monday revealed thatWing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was arrested by Pakistan Air Force(PAF), is not in a condition to fly plane.
He further said that they are not in a position to clarify how many peoplewere killed in the airstrike in Pakistan.
Failing to answer a question related to number of deaths in the airstrike,Dhanoa said, “This statement will be made by the government.”
Indian media and government officials had claimed that 300 allegedterrorists were killed in the airstrikes in Balakot. However, now the airchief said, “We can’t count the causalities as we count the targets.”
On February 26, Indian warplanes carried out air strikes inside Balakot onwhat New Delhi alleged were militant camps. Islamabad denied any such campsexisted. On Wednesday, Pakistan retaliated with its own aerial mission.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told a news conference claiming thatthe strikes had killed a “large number” of militants, including commanders,and had avoided civilian casualties.