‘Ex-officers of Pakistan Army trained terrorists at Balakot camp’

Mangalore Today News Network

Pakistan, Feb 27, 2019 : The Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror camp in Balakot, destroyed by the Indian Air Force on Tuesday, was located on the banks of the Kunhar river in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and have also been used by the Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said, Yahoonews reported.

 

The camp offered the possibility of aquatic training to terrorists and housed hundreds of operatives, sources said. It was an important training centre for the JeM and other terror organisations and it had several structures to accommodate trainees and facilities to train them.

The camp, 20 km from Balakot town, was used for "battle inoculation" and its trainers were former officers of Pakistan Army. Several "inspirational lectures" were delivered by JeM founder Masood Azhar and other terror ideologues on several occasions there, sources said.

Azhar’s relatives and cadres were given training at Balakot in advanced weaponry and tactics, and before the inception of JeM, the camp was also used by Hizbul Mujahideen, the sources said.

At the Balakot camp, the terrorists were imparted the advanced ’Daura-e-Khaas’ training in weapons, explosives and field tactics, attack on convoys of security forces, planting and making of IEDs, suicide bombing, rigging vehicles for suicide attacks and survival tactics in high altitude and extreme-stress situations, according to sources.

The JeM specialises in suicide attacks and gives immense importance to religious indoctrination and ideological brainwashing, officials said.