Indian Air Force dropped payload and damaged some trees in Balakot, KPK, Pakistan in Feb 2019. Indian claimed that it was in retaliation to Pulwama attack in which over 40 Indian CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack in Indian occupied Kashmir.
India blamed Pakistan for Pulwama attack but failed to provide any evidence to back up their claim. Nonetheless, the hardliner BJPÂ made national security an election plank and it worked for them and the aftermath of Pulwama and Balakot helped Modi win a second term as PM.
The very next day, on Feb 27, Pakistan Air Force launched operation Swift Retort and shot down 2 Indian fighter jets including a Mig-21 and a Su-30 MKI in aerial combat, taking one Indian fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as Prisoner Of War.
2 years after this skirmish, Indian Army Major(R) Gaurav Arya admitted in a tweet that Israel helped India in Balakot, to remind Narendra Modi that while supporting Palestine, you are going against the country that helped you against your biggest enemy i.e., Pakistan, in Balakot.