Ever since the pre-dawn Indian Air Force raid in Balakot, Pakistan targeting Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) camps, there has been confusion over the number of fatalities. While Pakistan has been maintaining that the IAF aircrafts missed the target and there were no deaths, most of the Indian media and some minister have said that up to 300 JeM terrorists were killed in the strike. The IAF which carried out the air strike maintains that the intended targets were hit and there was a large number of casualties but stopped short of putting any official figures. AFP The Air Force also claimed that there were around 300 active mobile phones at the location at the time of the air strike. Now an Italian journalist has added another twist to the entire episode. Francesca Marino, an Italian journalist, and author has claimed that up to 170 JeM terrorists were killed in the air strike on February 26. In a report published in stringerasia.it, she claimed that an Army unit, from their camp in Shinkiari, arrived at the location of the strike at around 6 am, and took away the injured to a Harkat-ul-Mujahideen camp, where they were treated by Pakistan Army doctors. AFP She also reported that around 20 of the injured have died during treatment, while some others are still undergoing treatment. Quoting local sources, she further said that the number of deaths could be from 130-170, including those who have died during treatment. Those killed included 11 trainers, ranging from bomb makers to those imparting weapons training. Two of them were from Afghanistan. AFP Ever since the air strike the Pakistani Army has taken absolute control of the area and did not even let local reporters go there. Only after 43 days, Pakistan took a group of international reporters to the spot in a 'guided tour' to show them that the air strike did not hit any buildings. In her report, Marino also added that the families of those killed in the air strike have been offered money not to speak out. She also corroborated another development in the area, which Reuters had earlier reported. The missing signboards of the JeM linked Madrasa. Earlier when an Al Jazeera team had visited the spot one of the photos showed the signboard. But later when a Reuters team went to the same spot the board which had the name of Masood Azhar was gone. In her report, Marino stated that now there is a freshly painted signboard of the Taleem-ul-Quran.<doc-sep>Text Size: A- A+ New Delhi: Italian journalist Francesca Marino has claimed that the air strikes conducted by India in Pakistan’s Balakot killed anywhere between “130 and 170” Jaish-e-Mohammed “cadre”. In a blog written Tuesday, Marino claimed some had died later during treatment, and 45 people were still undergoing treatment after the attack. Marino’s claims come more than two months after the Indian Air Force conducted air strikes in Balakot on 26 February, 12 days after a suicide attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, killed 40 CRPF personnel. The strikes and the subsequent listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council have become a major poll plank for the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. Marino’s Twitter bio describes her as a journalist, writer, specialist of South Asia and author of Apocalypse Pakistan with B. Natale. She has appeared on several Indian news channels to speak on Balakot. Days after the attacks, she had claimed that the Pakistan Army carried away 35 bodies from Balakot after the strikes. The claims In Tuesday’s blog, Marino claimed she had gathered the information from her sources, despite “Pakistan’s efforts to deceive the world on the Indian airstrikes” on the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp. She wrote that the IAF strike was carried out at around 3.30 am. “According to my information, an Army unit, from their camp in Shinkiari, arrived at the location of the strike on 26 February at around 6 am, two-and-a-half hours later,” she claimed. “Shinkiari is around 20 km away from Balakot… (and) is also a base of the Pakistan Army, with the Junior Leaders Academy (JLA) located there.” Also read: First satellite images show likely damage to Jaish Balakot camp but no massive destruction Marino wrote that immediately after the Army unit’s arrival, the injured were taken to a Harkat-ul-Mujahideen camp located in Shinkiari, and treated by Pakistan Army doctors. “Local sources say around 45 persons are still undergoing treatment in this camp, while around 20 have died during treatment due to serious injuries. Those who have recovered are still in custody of the Army and have not been discharged,” she claimed. “Based on the different inputs that have been gathered over the last several weeks through my contact, it can now also be safely said that the impact of the strike immediately killed a large number of JeM cadres. The numbers estimated have ranged from 130-170, including those who have died during treatment. Those killed included 11 trainers, ranging from bomb makers to those imparting weapons training.” Also read: New Balakot images show 3 clear IAF Spice 2000 bomb holes in Jaish building Cash compensation Marino’s blog post also claimed that two of the trainers were from Afghanistan, and in order to prevent news on the fatalities leaking through statements of family members, a group of JeM members visited the families of those killed and handed over cash compensation to them. She claimed that adjacent to the Blue Pine Hotel, located on the foothill from where one starts the trek for the JeM camp, is a freshly painted signboard that indicates the presence of the Taleem-ul-Quran on the hilltop. Also read: Pakistan took 43 days to show media Balakot Madarsa intact, but took them to wrong place “Unlike the earlier board, all links to JeM leader and now internationally proscribed terrorist Masood Azhar has (sic) been removed,” Marino wrote, adding that the access to the dust track leading to the camp is still restricted, even to the local police. She claimed that apart from “a few children and 3-4 teachers, the camp has been cleared of any traces of it earlier being a JeM camp”. “There is also talk about the JeM leadership having assured its cadres that the group will take its revenge when the time is ripe,” she wrote. Also read: Balakot proof is ‘blowin in the wind’ which Pakistan doesn’t want to see: IAF chief Dhanoa Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram<doc-sep>A satellite image shows a close-up of the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. (Photo: Planet Labs Inc via Reuters) Up to 170 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were killed in the airstrike conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Pakistan's Balakot, a foreign journalist has reported. The pre-dawn airstrike was carried out by the Indian Air Force on February 26, days after the Pulwama terror attack. According to a report by Italian journalist Francesca Marino, the airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot led to the death of 130-170 JeM recruits. Speaking to India Today TV, the journalist accused Pakistan of lying as the country has maintained that the Indian Air Force airstrike did not lead to any damage or casualties. "Despite Pakistan's efforts to deceive the world on the Indian airstrikes on the Jaish-e-Muhammad camp, small details of what happened in Balakot in the wee hours of February 26 and thereafter have kept trickling in from my source," Italian journalist Francesca Marino wrote in her report. Marino further wrote that a Pakistani army unit from Shinkiari base camp arrived at the location of the strike on February 26 around 6 am, just two-and-a-half hours after IAF successfully bombed the terror camp. Quoting sources, Marino wrote that a unit of the Pakistani Army arrived at the spot and transported the injured to the Harkar-ul-Mujahideen camp, located in Shinkiari, where Pakistan Army doctors treated them. Marino wrote that her sources indicated that around 45 individuals injured in the strike are still undergoing treatment at the military camp while 20 have succumbed during treatment. And, the terrorists who have recovered are in custody of the Pakistan Army, according to her report. Marino said that the inputs are based on information gathered over the last few weeks through reliable sources in the region. "The numbers estimated have ranged from 130-170, including those who have died during treatment. Those killed included 11 trainers, ranging from bomb makers to those imparting weapons training," she wrote. The journalist also suggested that a group of JeM members even visited the families of those killed in the attack and offered cash compensation to them to prevent leakage of information. She also highlights that the hilltop training camp is still under the control of the Pakistan army, with a captain rank officer of the Mujahid battalion in command. Even local police is not allowed to access the road leading to the training camp, she said in her report. ALSO READ: Balakot: How India planned IAF airstrike in Pakistan | An inside story ALSO WATCH: Pakistan's cover up exposed in new report: 130-170 JeM terrorists killed in Balakot airstrike<doc-sep>Despite Pakistan’s best efforts to cover up the fatalities following Indian airstrikes on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp on February 26, fresh details have emerged which indicate that the impact of the strike immediately killed a large number of JeM terrorists. According to Francesca Marino, an award-winning Italian journalist, the number of those estimated to have died due to the strikes ranged from 130-170, including those who have died during treatment. Those killed included 11 trainers, ranging from bomb makers to those imparting weapons training, Marino's report said. ''To prevent news on the fatalities leaking through statements of family members of cadres, a group of JeM members also visited the families of those killed and handed over cash compensation,'' the report added. Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out the airstrikes at around 3.30am on February 26. The Pakistan Army unit, from their camp in Shinkiari, arrived at the location of the strike on the same day around 6 am, two and a half hours after the Indian Army carried out the strikes, according to the report. Immediately after the Army unit arrival, the injured were taken to a Harkat-ul-Mujahideen camp, located in Shinkiari and treated by Pakistan Army doctors. Marino's report quoting local sources said that around 45 persons were still undergoing treatment at the aforementioned camp while around 20 succumbed to injuries during treatment. Those who recovered are still in custody of the Army and have not been discharged, Italian journalist's report said. Adjacent to the Blue Pine Hotel, located on the foothill from where one starts the trek for the JeM camp, is a freshly painted signboard that indicates the presence of the Taleem-ul-Quran on the hilltop. Unlike the earlier board, all links to JeM leader and now internationally proscribed terrorist Masood Azhar has been removed, according to the report. According to Marino's report, the camp area was still under the control of the Army, with a Captain rank officer of the Mujahid battalion in command. The access to the dust track leading to the camp is still restricted, even to the local police, the report added.<doc-sep>
Balakot airstrike: More than 130-170 JeM terrorists killed, says foreign scribe Around 45 people are still undergoing medical treatment following the Indian Air Force strikes on the Jaish-e-Muhammed terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot , while the bombings could have killed 130-170 JeM cadres, including 11 terror "trainers", according to Italian journalist Francesca Marino.Marino says in her report that despite Pakistan's efforts to deceive the world, details of what happened at Balakot in the early hours of February 26 have trickled in. She said that according to a source, a Pakistan Army unit from Shinkiari reached the location at 6am, two-and-a-half hours after the strikes. "Shinkiari is around 20km from Balakot, and the (Pakistan) army unit would have taken around 35-40 minutes to reach the location from where the climb to the camp begins. Incidentally, Shinkiari is also a base of the Pakistan army, with the Junior Leaders Academy (JLA) located there," Italian journalist Francesca Marino said, writing for online magazine Stringer Asia. Marino claims that the injured were taken to a Harkat-ul-Mujahideen camp at Shinkiari and treated by Pakistan army doctors. "Local sources say around 45 persons are still undergoing treatment in this camp, while around 20 have died during treatment due to serious injuries. Those who have recovered are still in custody of the army and have not been discharged. "She said that information from her contacts indicated the strike immediately killed a large number of Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) cadres. "The numbers estimated have ranged from 130-170, including those who have died during treatment. Those killed included 11 trainers, ranging from bomb makers to those imparting weapons training. "While the casualty figure at Balakot has been subject to heated speculation, Pakistan army has so far refused access to the Jaish complex to any one. Some journalists have been taken to vicinity of the strikes but no one has been able to interview those who were at the camp or continue to be there. "Two of the trainers were from Afghanistan. To prevent news on fatalities leaking through statements of family members of cadres, a group of JeM members also visited the families of those killed and handed over cash compensation to them," she wrote.Marino has written that adjacent to the Blue Pine Hotel, located at the foothill from where the trek to the JeM camp begins, is a painted signboard indicating presence of the Taleem-ul-Quran on the hilltop. "Unlike the earlier board, all links to JeM leader and now internationally proscribed terrorist Masood Azhar has been removed. The camp area is still under the control of the army, with a Captain rank officer of the Mujahid battalion in command. "Access to the dust track to the camp is restricted, even to local police. Apart from a few children and 3-4 teachers, the complex has been cleared of any traces of it being a JeM camp. "Meanwhile, inhabitants of Bisian township, near the JeM camp, still speak of some locals having noticed vehicles dumping rubble in the Kunhar river during the first night after the strike."