What exactly was hit? How were the casualty figures derived?
The Indian government claimed that its aircraft “struck the biggest training
camp of JeM [Jaish-e-Mohammad] in Balakot”.
However, Reuters reported that the “Indian attack had missed its target as
the bombs dropped exploded about a kilometre away from the madrasa”.
How many casualties?
While the Indian government said that “a very large number of JeM
terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis were
eliminated” it did not put out an estimate of people killed. Remember it was
dark at the time.
The pro-BJP media then got into action. Economic Times quoted unnamed
sources to claim 300 dead. This number was then repeated by major news
outlets such as ANI and the Times of India. Another journalist quoted a
“highly reliable government source” as claiming, “India went inside
Pakistan. Not around LoC [Line of control]. Our estimate is 600/ 650
casualties.”
How this figure had been arrived at was not explained. Typical of the
muddled way Indian media works: lacking reliable sources & using
guesstimates on casualties
Reuters meanwhile reported from the ground, claiming that the BOMBING HAD
WOUNDED ONE PERSON. The BBC also interviewed an eyewitness who claimed that
ONE PERSON HAD BEEN INJURED.
Clearly, a number of questions remain to be answered.
Read more
https://scroll.in/article/914731/from-number-of-people-dead-to-pakistan-response-what-we-still-don-t-know-about-balakot-airstrikes
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Eddie
