Defense Minister visits hospital in JK; Pakistan will pay

The recent battle that took place in Jammu Kashmir has taken a toll on both the citizens and the army. 

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said militants who killed five soldiers and a civilian at an Army camp in Jammu were Pakistanis and warned that Pakistan will pay a price for the terror attack.

“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,” the minister said at a press conference in Jammu. The deaths of “our soldiers won’t go in vain”.

The minister was in Jammu to take stock of the situation at the Sunjuwan Army camp which three heavily armed militants stormed it on Saturday morning and entered the residential quarters of junior commissioned officers, spraying bullets and hurling bombs.

READ ALSO: BREAKING NEWS! GUNFIRE CONTINUES IN KARNA NAGAR

The operation was called off on Monday morning after the three attackers were killed. A fourth one, she said, may have been a guide and didn’t enter the military base.

The elite National Investigation Agency, which probes terror cases, is scrutinizing evidence, Ms. Sitharaman said, adding that Pakistan is “expanding the arch of terror to areas south of Pir Panjal ranges and resorting to ceasefire violations to assist infiltration.”

“Definitely evidence will be given, as always, to Pakistan. And yes, Pakistan in spite of us giving dossiers after dossiers has not taken any action. On the contrary, we find people who were directly responsible for the Mumbai terror attack and many others are still free and happily roaming in Pakistan,” said the minister.

Sitharaman said the three militants were all Pakistanis and were handled by their Jaish-e-Muhammad leaders across the border. “The demography of the cantonment and the adjoining area indicates the possibility of local support to the terrorists.”

The Minister asserted that evidence related to Jaish’s involvement in the terror attack would be shared with Pakistan. “Giving evidence to Pakistan is a continuous process. It will have to be proved over and over again that they are responsible.”

READ ALSO: BREAKING NEWS! TERROR ATTACK IN SRINAGAR

She said giving evidence to Pakistan would not prevent the Indian Army from responding “appropriately and at a time we deem fit”.

Earlier, the Minister undertook an aerial survey of the Army station and visited the Army Hospital in Jammu city where those injured in the terror attack were being treated.

She also called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

“The Ministry of Defence will stand by the Army. We have to work together with the Jammu and Kashmir government,” the minister said.