Addressing a press conference in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Dhanoa said the number of casualties at the Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp would be released by the government.

The casualty figure in the air strike on the Balakot camp will be given out by the government, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said on Monday while asserting that the Indian Air Force does not count the number of dead.

Air Chief Marshal cleared all the air on the IAF air strikes. He said "The target has been clearly amplified by Foreign Secretary in his statement. If we plan to hit the target, we hit the target, otherwise why would he (Pak PM) have responded, if we dropped bombs in the jungles why would he respond."

Asked why Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 Bison, considered to be an ageing aircraft, during an aerial dogfight with Pakistan, Dhanoa said it is a capable jet. 

“It has been upgraded, has better radar, air-to air missiles and better weapons system. The target has been clearly amplified by the Foreign Secretary (Vijay Gokhale) in his statement. If we plan to hit the target, we hit the target, otherwise why would he (Pakistan PM Imran Khan) have responded. If we dropped bombs in the jungles, why would he respond,” Dhanoa said.