Govt will decide on military strike: IAF

New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major says it is up to the Union Government to decide on any military strike on Pakistan.

"We are certainly against terrorism but that doesn't mean that we go at war with any country," Air Chief Marshal Major said.

The Air Chief declined to reveal any plans and said, "That's upto the government, the Air Force and the Army are there only to carry out the will of the government."

Indian Air Force (IAF) has already been put on the highest level of readiness since Operation Parakram in 2001.

The level of readiness has been raised to 'Passive Air Defence' (PAD). The high alert is in response to heightened perceptions of air attack on Indian positions.

All IAF aircraft have been armed and are ready to take off within minutes. Even the warships of the Western Naval Fleet are aggressively patrolling the Arabian Sea.

The alert has been sounded in view of intelligence reports of air strikes at Indian installations from across the border or an aerial attack by terrorists groups based in Pakistan.

However, the alert is still defensive in nature and intended to protect Indian targets.

Leave of all key personnel in the Western and South-Western Air Commands, which face Pakistan, has been cancelled.

Percentage of personnel allowed to go on leave, too, has been reduced from 30 per cent to 10 per cent.

However, there is still no mobilisation of troops on the border and Indian Army is not on the highest level of readiness.

Following the Mumbai terror attack, the defence chiefs had briefed defence Minister AK Antony about the steps being taking to beef up security at the border and to prevent a 9/11 type of terror attack involving aircrafts.

During Operation Parakram, IAF was on 'Active Air Defence”, which means aircraft were primed to destroy enemy targets.

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#Mumbai terror attacks #IAF #Air Chief Marshal #Fali Homi Major