Indian Air Force Do Not Count the number of Fatalities: BS Dhanoa

Guwahati: The Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa while addressing a press conference at Coimbatore today said that the Indian Air Force only focuses on whether targets have been struck and does not count the fatalities or injuries.

The press conference has been called at a time when there have been a contradictory numbers from the government over the casualty count of India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan.

It has been reported that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had claimed that 250 were killed in the terror strike to which the Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said that the number of casualties at the Jaish-e-Mohammad's training camp at Balakot would be released by the government.

Dhanoa further said that the IAF is not in a position to clarify the number of casualties that has occurred during the air strike carried out by IAF and that the IAF don't count human casualties and count what targets they have hit or not.

Dhanoa also stated that Rafale is likely to be inducted in the month of September, 2019.

Responding to a question asked about the effectiveness of IAF's air strike against JeM's terror camp at Balakot, Dhanoa said that 'if we had dropped bombs in the jungle then why would they respond.'

The Air Chief Marshal was further asked why the MiG-21 Bison was used against Pakistan's F-16, he said that MiG-21 is capable and has been upgraded and has a better weapons system and a better radar. MiG-21 is an upgraded aircraft according to Dhanoa.

The Air Chief Marshal further stated that IAF does not take any chances when it comes to the medical fitness of the pilot and that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman can fly a fighter jet if he is deemed fit and that Varthaman will be given all required medical treatment.

The opposition leaders asked the government to put a number to the casualties in the strike. SS Ahluwalia, the Junior IT Minister attempted to distance the government from the speculation around casualties underlining that the government hadn't spelt out a number.

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