In the wee hours of February 26, 2019, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a pre-meditated bombing raid on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps in Balakot town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
This was done to avenge a suicide bombing attack, executed by a JeM terrorist named Adil Ahmad Dar, which led to the death of 40 Indian jawans in Pulwama on February 14 of that year.
Hours before the infamous Balakot air strike, a fan account of Pakistan Defence (@Defence__Pak) had tweeted, “Sleep tight because PAF (Pakistan Air Force) is awake.” The archive of the tweet can be accessed here.
The tweet was posted minutes after the clock struck midnight, unknowing of the events that were to follow. IAF fighter jets were successful in conducting aerial bombardment and neutralising terrorists.
Although Pakistan tried to retaliate against the Indian Air Force strike, they had to turn back after seeing the size of the Indian formation. In fact, the then Pakistan Defence Minister Pervez Khattak had gone on record to say, “raat ka waqt tha pata nahin chala (We couldn’t understand since it was right).”
Far from ‘being awake’, the Pakistan Air Force failed to stop the breach of its own air space. Every year on this day, Indians not only commemorate the valour of the IAF personnel but also mock the false bravado of those who have faith in the Pakistani Air Force.
“Sleep tight because PAF is also sleeping, don’t disturb PAF’s peaceful sleep,” mocked one user.
Sleep tight because PAF is also sleeping, don’t disturb PAF’s peaceful sleep😂 pic.twitter.com/kwCDbi33L4
— Chandra (@Chandu4tweets) February 26, 2023
“What a joke…Sleep Tight because PAF is awake,” wrote another user.
What a joke 🤣🤣
— Sunil Singh (@SunilSingh_0007) February 26, 2023
Sleep Tight because PAF awake😎#BalakotAirStrike pic.twitter.com/rLLY0tmnuH
One Adith Kotian tweeted, “Happy ‘Sleep tight because PAF is awake day. Rest is history.”
Happy “Sleep tight because PAF is awake ☕” day.
— Adith Kotian (@AdithKotian) February 26, 2023
Rest is history.
“Happy 4th year anniversary of “Sleep tight because PAF is awake,” remarked another user.
Happy 4th year anniversary of “Sleep tight because PAF is awake”
— Anoopsri🇮🇳 (@Anoopsri) February 26, 2023
In December last year, former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd) said that the air strike by Indian Air Force targeting Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) advance training camp in Balakot was a clear message that if anyone tried to harm India, then they would suffer more
