The government on Wednesday said that India exercised its right to respond, preempt as well as deter more cross-border attacks such as the one in Pahalgam, and asserted that it focussed on dismantling the terror infrastructure and disabling terrorists.
The statement was made at a media briefing by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Col. Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh after Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on 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 military strikes were conducted under Operation Sindoor two weeks after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
Misri said the actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible.
Recalling the United Nations Security Council press statement on the Pahalgam attack, Misri said it underlined the “need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”.