Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa on Monday categorically said that Indian Air Force has successfully hit the target that was intended to be hit, reported ANI.
Briefing the media on the Indian ‘non-military pre-emptive strikes’ against terror camps inside Pakistan, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa confirmed the strikes at terror camps and clarified that IAF was not in a postilion to clarify the number of casualties.
“The government will clarify that. We don’t count human casualties, we count what targets we have hit or not. We hit our target. The air force doesn’t calculate casualty numbers, the government does that”, Dhanoa added.
BS Dhanoa further added that “If we plan to hit the target, we hit the target, otherwise, why would he (Pak PM) have responded, if we dropped bombs in the jungles why would he respond.”
While speaking on Mig-21 Bison, he said, “One is a planned operation in which you plan & carry out. But when an adversary does a strike on you, every available aircraft goes in, irrespective of which aircraft it is. All aircraft are capable of fighting the enemy. The Mig-21 Bison is a capable aircraft, it has been upgraded, it has better radar, air-to-air missiles and better weapons system.”
Responding to the question of Wing Commander Abhinandan’s return, Air Chief Marshal said that the medical fitness of Wing Commander will depend on whether he returns to fighting stream. “That’s why post-ejection, he has undergone a medical check. Whatever treatment required, will be given. Once we get his medical fitness, he will get into the fighter cockpit,” clarified Dhanoa.
The Air Chief response comes at the backdrop of opposition parties, especially Congress raising questions over the impact of the strike, aided by Congress backed media reports that have been putting confusing reports to discredit the Narendra Modi led union government for sanctioning such attacks.