Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, on Monday, said that the IAF hit all the desired targets on February 26, when it struck the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror launchpads in Pakistan's Balakot. Addressing a press conference, he said, counting the number of dead bodies is not the job of IAF but as far as hitting the target is concerned ‘IAF hit the targets’.

What was the target and did the Indian fighter planes hit the target, the Air Chief was asked?

"The target has been clearly amplified by the Foreign Secretary in his statement and if we planned to hit the target, we hit the target... otherwise why would they (Pakistan) have responded? If we had dropped bombs in the jungle there would be no need to respond," he said, officially dismissing allegations that the strike had missed the target.

He added, "One is a planned operation in which you plan and carry out. But when an adversary does a strike on you, every available aircraft goes in, irrespective of which aircraft it is. All aircraft are capable of fighting the enemy."

On Abhinandan Varthaman, the Air Chief said: "It depends on when he completes his medical recovery. If he is immediately fit, he will go back (to the cockpit). It takes a lot of toll in your body (ejection). We don't take a chance with the fitness of a fighter pilot. When we select people, it (criteria) is high. The curvature of the spine should be correct.

Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, on Monday, said that the IAF hit all the desired targets on February 26, when it struck the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror launchpads in Pakistan's Balakot. Addressing a press conference, he said, counting the number of dead bodies is not the job of IAF but as far as hitting the target is concerned ‘IAF hit the targets’.

What was the target and did the Indian fighter planes hit the target, the Air Chief was asked?

"The target has been clearly amplified by the Foreign Secretary in his statement and if we planned to hit the target, we hit the target... otherwise why would they (Pakistan) have responded? If we had dropped bombs in the jungle there would be no need to respond," he said, officially dismissing allegations that the strike had missed the target.

He added, "One is a planned operation in which you plan and carry out. But when an adversary does a strike on you, every available aircraft goes in, irrespective of which aircraft it is. All aircraft are capable of fighting the enemy."

On Abhinandan Varthaman, the Air Chief said: "It depends on when he completes his medical recovery. If he is immediately fit, he will go back (to the cockpit). It takes a lot of toll in your body (ejection). We don't take a chance with the fitness of a fighter pilot. When we select people, it (criteria) is high. The curvature of the spine should be correct.