New Delhi (Sputnik): Pakistan's military has taken a group of international journalists, mostly India-based, and diplomats including defence attaches from 26 countries to visit the site where India claims to have dropped bombs on 26 February to destroy alleged terror infrastructure after the terror attack on 14 February in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Director General (DG) ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor briefed the delegation on the events of the day of the Balakot attack, "negating repeated false Indian claims with ground realities".
"Visitors were shown bomb craters of the Indian air strike attempts in barren open spaces with no loss of human life or infrastructure", the ISPR said. "The group also visited a nearby madrassa that India claimed it had struck and killed scores of terrorists at".
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A group of international media journalists mostly India based and Ambassadors & Defence Attachés of various countries in Pakistan visited impact site of 26 February Indian air violation near Jabba, Balakot. Saw the ground realities anti to Indian claims for themselves. pic.twitter.com/XsONflGGVP
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) April 10, 2019
The two nuclear arch rivals have been engaged in a major information war since a cross border strike on 26 February in which Indian leaders claimed that at least 300 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists had been killed inside the premises of an alleged training centre during the strike when over a dozen Indian fighter jet used Israeli Spice 2000 precision-guided bombs to destroy the purported infrastructure. Pakistan says the bombs landed in an empty area and damaged pine trees. Pakistan had lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations accusing India of spreading "eco-terrorism".
The DG ISPR reiterated that "India instead of pursuing false claims should accept the reality, stay a responsible state for peace in the region and especially to look inward to identify reasons for out of hand situation inside Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir".
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BBC journalist Usman Zahid reported that Pakistani authorities had shown visitors a medium-sized crater which the army said had been made by an Indian Air Force bomb.
"Some 150-200 children could be seen reciting the Koran in a mosque at the school. However, a teacher and a student interviewed by the BBC said they were all local people and that the madrassa had been shut since the Indian attack. While the media were allowed to take interviews they were told to keep them short and it was clear that the tour was being restricted", BBC report reads.
Meanwhile, India's Ministry of External Affairs has stood by its initial claim that the aerial strike was successful and caused damage to the terrorist group.
