*NEW DELHI – No Pakistani soldier or citizens died in the Balakot airstrike on February 26, admitted India’s minister for external affairs onThursday.*
“When we carried out an air strike across the border after the Pulwamaterror attack, we had told the international community that we took thatstep in self-defence only,” Sushma Swaraj was quoted as saying by the Timesof India.
“We had told the international community that the armed forces wereinstructed not to harm any Pakistani citizen or its soldier during thestrike,” Swaraj said.
On February 14, 40 Indian soldiers were killed after a local Kashmiri boyrammed an explosive-laden van into the convoy of Indian soldiers. Theattack was reportedly claimed by outlawed Jaish-e-Muhammad.
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It brought Pakistan and India on the brink of war. Tensions between the twocountries escalated further after Indian planes violated Pakistani airspaceand released their payload inside Pakistan’s territory on February 26.
In response, Pakistan shot down two Indian planes in Kashmir on the verynext day.
