Tuesday, April 29`, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 35
Agencies: Vows ‘crushing blow to terrorism’ after meeting top security brass; Pak FM fears ‘imminent incursion’
● Pakistan reinforces military on border, says it shot down Indian drone along Kashmir border
● Rival troops continue to exchange gunfire along LoC for 5th day
● Pakistan preparing to challenge India’s suspension of water treaty
● India shuts over half of Kashmir tourist spots in security review
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the country’s military “operational freedom” to respond to a deadly attack in Kashmir last week, a senior government source told AFP yesterday, after New Delhi blamed it on arch-rival Pakistan.
A week after the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested region in years, Modi yesterday held a closed-door meeting with army and security chiefs, during which he told the armed forces that they had the “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack”, said the government source, who was not authorised to speak to the media.
The development came after Pakistan’s defence minister said a military incursion by neighbouring India was imminent.
“We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. So in that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken,” Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters in an interview at his office in Islamabad on Monday.
Yesterday, New Delhi released video images of a stern-faced Modi meeting with army chiefs, as well as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
“It is our national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism,” Modi said, adding that he has complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the Indian Armed Forces.
Earlier in the day, Indian Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a high-level meeting with the chiefs of three paramilitary forces and senior officers of other security organisations.
Sources said a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security and Political and Economic Affairs will be held, possibly today.
After the terror attack, Modi vowed to pursue the terrorists behind the attack and their patrons to the “ends of the earth” and inflict the harshest punishment on them.
Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 in which 26 men were killed.
