New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning put Pakistan and Pak-supported terrorists on notice and underscored the paradigm shift in India’s doctrine on terrorism that he announced late last night.
Mr Modi warned terror groups and terrorists India’s armed forces would launch formidable counterattacks if faced with a repeat of the attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 people, mostly civilians, were killed by gunmen from a proxy of the Pak-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group.
Operation Sindoor – precision strikes targeting nine terrorist bases in Pak and Pak-occupied Kashmir – was India’s military response, which extended to efficiently neutralising retaliatory missiles fired by Pak.
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And Sindoor – India’s first tri-service military mission since the 1971 war with Pak – will remain an active operation to combat terrorists attacks for as long as required, the PM thundered.
“Our intent is clear… if there is another attack India will respond. We saw this after the terror attack on an Army base in J&K’s Uri in 2016 and Balakot airstrikes (after the 2019 Pulwama attack)…”
“Operation Sindoor is the new normal,” the PM said, emphasising it will become a policy of Indian governments to take “decisive action against state-sponsored terror attacks on its citizens”.
PM At Adampur
The Prime Minister’s forceful message was delivered from the tarmac at the Adampur Air Force base in Punjab. Adampur played a key role in repelling the missiles and drones fired by Pakistan last week.
In his speech Mr Modi, to periodic shouts of ‘Bharat mata ki jai’, thanked the armed forces for their defence of the nation, both against Pak’s attacks and the many terrorist strikes of the past.
“Every Indian is proud of you… you have written history. I have come for your blessings… the terrorists dared us… but you hit them head-on. You wiped out their bases and killed 100 terrorists. They have realised that if they try to attack us, the result will be their destruction,” the Prime Minister said.
But the location choice was more significant than that.
During the 100-hour war Pakistan also launched a disinformation campaign targeting Adampur, claiming missiles from its China-made JF-17 fighters had destroyed the base.
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In a big claim, Pak said the expensive and potent Russian-made S-400 missile defence system – one of only three India has at this time – had been destroyed.
India responded with a photo of the PM saluting soldiers at Adampur.
PM Modi visited the Adampur Air Force in Punjab early Tuesday.
And there was an unharmed and fully operational S-400 in the background.
It was, in fact, the Prime Minister declared, India’s soldiers that had made their Pakistani counterparts bite the dust, and given them “sleepless nights” because of their prowess.
