By IANS
New Delhi : The Indian Air Force (IAF) Monday described as “fictional” a suggestion that India and Israel had planned to attack Pakistan’s nuclear facility at Kahuta from the Jamnagar airbase in Gujarat.
Investigative journalists Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark have made the claim in their book titled “Deception: Pakistan, the US and the Global Weapons Conspiracy”.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an IAF officer told IANS: “It’s entirely fictional.”
The book claims that the supposed 1983-84 strike got spiked when the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tipped off then Pakistani military dictator Zia-ul Haq of the plan.
“In February 1983, with the strike plan at an advanced stage, Indian military officials had travelled secretly to Israel, which had a common interest in eliminating (Dr A.Q.) Khan (who mentored Pakistan’s nuclear programme),” said the book.
According to it, India put its plans on hold after a Pakistani official warned an Indian nuclear scientist that Islamabad would attack Trombay near Mumbai if Kahuta got hit.