We have just paused our retaliatory action, will see what attitude Pakistan adopts: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Noting that India has only paused its retaliatory action against terror sites and military installations in Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that New Delhi will see what stance Islamabad takes in the coming days and Operation Sindoor is India’s policy against terrorism after surgical strike of 2016 and aerial strikes of 2019.

In his Address to the Nation, PM Modi said that over 100 terrorists were killed in India’s precision strikes of May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.

“Terrorists had attacked the sindoor of our sisters, we destroyed the headquarters of terrorists. India’s strike killed over 100 terrorists. Several top terrorists, who were roaming freely in Pakistan for the last two-three decades, conspiring against India, they have been killed in one stroke,” PM Modi said.

“I am repeating again, we have only paused our retaliatory action against terrorists and military installations in Pakistan. In the coming days, every step taken by Pakistan will be measured. India’s Armed Forces, Air Force, Army, and Navy…along with the BSF and paramilitary forces, are alert along the Line of Control. After surgical strikes and air strikes, Operation Sindoor is now India’s policy against terrorism,” he added.

India had launched surgical strike on terror launch pads along LoC in 2016 and aerial strikes on a terror camp in Pakistan in 2019.

Twenty-six people were killed in the ghastly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. India responded through Operation Sindoor and launched precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), in which over 100 terrorists were killed.

The subsequent aggression by Pakistan was appropriately responded to by the Indian Armed Forces who also pounded Pakistan airbases.

Prime Minister had earlier said that the perpetrators of Pahalgam terror attack would face punishment beyond their imagination.
India had also taken several steps to send a strong message to Pakistan over its support to cross-border terrorism and has put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on Saturday on stoppage of firing and military action following a call made by Pakistan DGMO to his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai,

Lt Gen Ghai, who interacted with the media at a joint press conference on Sunday, said his Pakistan counterpart proposed during an interaction on Saturday that “we cease hostilities”.

“My communication with the Pak DGMO was conducted at 15:35 hrs yesterday (Saturday) and resulted in cessation of cross-border firing and air intrusions by either side with effect from 17:00 hrs, May 10, after he proposed that we cease hostilities. We also decided to further speak on May 12 at 12:00 hrs to discuss the modalities that would enable the longevity of this understanding,” Lt Gen Ghai said.

“However, disappointingly, expectedly, it took only a couple of hours for the Pakistan Army to violate these arrangements by cross-border and across the Line of Control (LoC) firing, followed by drone intrusions last night and in the early hours of today (Sunday). These violations were responded to robustly,” he added.

Lt Gen Ghai said his counterpart was informed about the violations through a hotline message. India made its intent clear that it would respond to the same “fiercely” if repeated, for which the Chief of Army Staff has granted full authority to the Army Commanders.

Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan also held talks on Monday. (ANI)