An Italian journalist has exposed hidden truths of Pakistani Army that worked behind the scenes after IAF fighter jets bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp inside Pakistani territory on February 26. While Pakistan claimed no casualties in the wake of the bomb blast in a face-saving situation, the journalist told WION in an interview that the Pakistani Army carried away as many as 35 dead bodies after the attack.
The air strikes were deftly conducted by 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets of Indian Air Force and they dropped bombs to completely destroy Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan. Previously, it was reported by Indian media outlets that the death toll in IAF operation was high as 350 (including soldiers and terrorists).
But, Pakistan claimed that there had been no casualties at all. The journalist by the name of Francesca Marino told WION in an interview that her source had confirmed that the death toll was between 40 and 50, and the injured ones were between 35 to 40.
Talking to WION from Rome, Marino claimed that her only source was a person living in Balakot. “Yesterday I’ve got confirmations… 100% reliable confirmations,” Marino said.
Marino said, adding that as per trusted source in Pakistan, ambulances arrived at the accident spot after the air strikes and Pakistan Army snatched the mobile phones of the ambulance staff. The source went on to tell Marino that at least 35 dead bodies were carried away by Pakistan Army, which had sealed the blast site.
The Italian journalist added that at least 12 young trainees of the banned terror group got killed in the attack while they were asleep inside the camp.
The deceased ones also included a “retired Pakistani Army colonel and another colonel”. Marino on Saturday wrote in an Indian newspaper that “a former Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer known locally as ‘Colonel Salim’ was killed in the bombing, while a Colonel identified as Zarar Zakri’ got injured.”
Marino told that JeM trainer Mufti Moeen and a bomb expert Usman Ghani were also neutralised in the IAF air strikes. Marino added that “the population there is very scared, it is very difficult to get evidence out of there” but that “I am confident I will also get some video proof”.