New Delhi: India’s military scripted “history” by acting with “precision, precaution and compassion” in destroying terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir under ‘Operation Sindoor’, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.
In his first remarks following the strike, Singh said India used its “right to respond” to the Pahalgam attack and that the targets were destroyed as per plan.
“Through Operation Sindoor, India has used its ‘right to respond’ to the attack on its soil, and the armed forces scripted history by acting with precision, precaution and compassion to destroy the camps used to train terrorists in Pakistan and PoK,” he said addressing the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Raising Day celebrations.
The defence minister asserted that the targets were destroyed and no civilian population was harmed as per the plan. “The whole world has witnessed what our armed forces have done today. The action was carried out very thoughtfully and in a measured manner,” he said.
“It was limited only to the camps and other infrastructure used for training terrorists, with the aim of breaking their morale,” Singh said.
“I congratulate the armed forces on behalf of the whole country. I also congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing complete support to the forces,” he added.
“We have followed the ideals of Lord Hanuman. Just as he said during the destruction of Ashok Vatika — ‘jin mohi maara, tin mohi maare’ (I only struck those who attacked me) — we too have targeted only those who killed our innocent people,” Singh said
In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India decided to carry out the “proportionate” strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice as there was “no demonstrable step” from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control.
Misri said India’s actions were in line with the UN Security Council’s statement about holding perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the Pahalgam terror attack accountable.
Under ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian military targeted Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in of Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen’s Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot and LeT’s base in Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala and its camp in Muzaffarabad’s Shawai Nalla, military officials said.
