‘BSF hit LeT launchpad 3km inside Pak after cross-border firing’: IG BSF
Shivam Bakshi
Jammu, May 27 (JKNS): The Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday said it carried out a deliberate and planned attack on a Lashkar-e-Taiba launchpad in Looni, a village located just three kilometres inside Pakistan territory, in response to cross-border shelling initiated by Pakistani forces earlier this month.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu, IG BSF Shashank Anand as per news agency JKNS said Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian posts on the night of May 8. “We were already prepared for such provocation. As a result, we inflicted heavy damage on multiple Pakistani posts during the exchange, while there were no casualties or damage on our side,” Anand said.
He said the BSF’s preparedness proved effective, and the morale of Pakistani troops was visibly shaken after the operation. “On May 9, Pakistan started unprovoked firing along the international border in the northern parts of Jammu, shifting focus from the Samba region. Anticipating such actions, we had chalked out a detailed response. On the nights of May 9 and 10, BSF launched heavy retaliatory shelling, and if the situation allowed, we had planned to target terror infrastructure along the border,” Anand added.
He confirmed that one such key target was hit during this operation. “We executed a deliberate and well-coordinated attack on a Lashkar-e-Taiba launchpad in the Looni area, located just three kilometres across the international border. The operation was executed with precision, and our aim was to disrupt any potential infiltration attempts,” the IG said.
Deputy Inspector General of BSF, Sector Sundarbani, Virender Dutta, also spoke during the presser and said intelligence inputs had indicated the presence of 18 to 20 militants in the Looni area. “These militants were preparing to infiltrate under the cover of ongoing cross-border firing and were likely planning to attack Indian installations later. Keeping this threat in view, we executed the operation in two phases with full coordination to ensure maximum impact,” Dutta said.
He asserted that the launchpad was “completely destroyed” and their objective was fully achieved. “Our operation was meant to eliminate the threat before it crossed over, and we succeeded. It sent a clear message across the border,” he said.
Both BSF officers emphasized that India’s response to Pakistan’s shelling was not only strong but also strategic, targeting terror camps that continue to operate with impunity near the LoC.
While the BSF did not disclose the number of militants killed in the strike, officials said the action was carried out to ensure the safety of Indian troops and installations and to disrupt militant movements backed by Pakistan’s border forces.
The operation marks one of the rare instances where BSF has publicly acknowledged striking a terror launchpad inside Pakistan, signaling a more assertive posture in the wake of continued ceasefire violations and infiltration threats along the LoC. (JKNS)
