Defence minister says Pak will pay' for this
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday warned Pakistan that it “will have to pay for this misadventure.”
She was referring to the militant attack at Sunjwan military station in Jammu while speaking to reporters in Jammu and Kashmir’s winter capital. Five soldiers and one civilian were killed and eleven persons including an Army major injured after a group of “heavily armed and highly motivated terrorists” of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) stormed the 36 Brigade headquarters of the Army’s Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) at Sanjwan on Saturday morning.
The defence minister said, “I wouldn’t certainly state a timeline (for action against Pakistan). But will say this, Pakistan will pay for this misadventure. I repeat, Pakistan will pay for it.”
She said that the evidences collected during the operation ‘flush out’ and the investigations into the terror attack will be given to Pakistan. “Definitely they will be given to Pakistan,” she said. One of these evidences was that the attack was carried out by JeM which, she said, was being sponsored by Moulana Masood Azhar who lives in Pakistan. She said, “Terrorists belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammed, sponsored by Azhar Masood residing in Pakistan and deriving support from there in”.
She, however, in an obvious reference to alleged Pakistani involvement in such past attacks said, “Even after giving dossiers after dossiers Pakistan has not taken any action.”
She added, “Giving the evidences to Pakistan will be a continuous process. It will have to be proved over and over again that they are responsible. Pakistan will have to pay for this misadventure.”
Sitharaman who arrived in Jammu earlier on a brief visit to take stock of the security situation in the State that emerged after the terror attack said that those involved in it “enjoyed some local support and had handlers across the border”.
Referring to the cross-border skirmishes, she said that Pakistan has been violating the November 2003 ceasefire understanding repeatedly to help infiltrators. However, she claimed, “Activities of terrorists in the hinterlands are severely curtailed due to relentless efforts of security forces.”
She earlier visited a military hospital in Jammu’s Satwari area to meet the injured soldiers and civilians. She said, “I wish to express my deepest condolences on loss of lives of our soldiers. I compliment the valour of our brave soldiers.”
She confirmed that three and not four militants have been killed during the armed standoff. “Six fatal casualties, including a civilian were caused by the terrorists. Three terrorists have been eliminated. There were reports of four terrorists. The fourth terrorist must have been a guide and may not have entered the Camp area,” she said. She added, “The counter terrorist operation in Sunjuwan were called off today at 10.30 however the sanitisation operation is on.”
The Defence Minister also met Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, and the two discussed the overall security scenario obtaining in the State particularly in the backdrop of continued shelling on the borders and the attack on Sunjwan military station, an official spokesman in Jammu said. End it