Srinagar, May 07 (KNO): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Union Cabinet have hailed the Indian armed forces for carrying out targeted strikes at terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
The Prime Minister, according to the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet, hours after ‘Operation Sindoor’ was launched to destroy terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Soon after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Cabinet about Operation Sindoor, the entire Cabinet hailed the action and the Prime Minister’s leadership with thumping of desks.
PM Modi is also learnt to have said that his government will have zero tolerance towards terror.
The Prime Minister also separately met the Defence Minister and NSA Ajit Doval and took stock of the evolving situation.
Retaliating against the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke.
The Prime Minister had earlier given full operational freedom to the armed forces to decide on the targets, manner and timing of the action against terror in the wake of the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed.
OPERATION SINDOOR' BHARAT'S RESPONSE TO BRUTAL KILLINGS: AMIT SHAH
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the 'Operation Sindoor' is Bharat's response to the brutal killings of innocent people in Pahalgam.
“Proud of our armed forces.#OperationSindoor is Bharat's response to the brutal killing of our innocent brothers in Pahalgam. The Modi government is resolved to give a befitting response to any attack on India and its people. Bharat remains firmly committed to eradicating,” Shah wrote on X, as per KNO.
INDIAN ARMED FORCES SCRIPTED NEW HISTORY: RAJNATH SINGH
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that the Indian Armed Forces displayed their valour and bravery in Operation Sindoor, scripting a new history, and took action against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and POJK with “precision, alertness and sensitivity”.
Speaking at an event for the inauguration of 50 Border Roads Organisation infrastructure projects across six states and two UTs, Rajnath Singh said that the armed forces showed sensitivity in ensuring that the civilian population is not affected during their action.
He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his full support to the armed forces.
“You know that today, under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi, our Indian armed forces have made us all proud…Last night, our Indian armed forces displayed their valour and bravery, and scripted a new history. Indian armed forces took action with precision, alertness and sensitiveness. The targets we decided where accurately demolished with precision.. Our armed forces also showed sensitivity in ensuring that the civilian population is not affected at all,” Rajnath Singh said.
“In a way, we can say that Indian jawans showed precision, alertness and humanity. On behalf of the entire country, I congratulate the jawans and officers,” he added.
INDIA READY TO ‘RETALIATE RESOLUTELY’: NSA DOVAL
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday told his counterparts in various countries that India has no intent to escalate tensions but is prepared to “retaliate resolutely” if Pakistan does so.
Doval briefed his counterparts in the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and Japan about India’s missile strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He also established contact with Russia and France, officials said.
“NSA briefed his counterparts on actions taken and method of execution, which was measured, non-escalatory and restrained. He emphasised that India had no intent to escalate but was well prepared to retaliate resolutely should Pakistan decide to escalate,” an official said.
The conversations took place soon after India carried out Operation Sindoor at nine sites.
He spoke to US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UK’s Jonathan Powell, Saudi Arabia’s Musaid Al Aiban, UAE’s H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon, and Japan’s Masataka Okano. “Contact was also established with Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, Member of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of PRC Wang Yi and Diplomatic Adviser to French President Emmanuel Bonne,” the official said.
Doval will be in further touch with his counterparts in the days ahead. (KNO)