Terror dens hit with precision, no civilian harmed: Rajnath

Hours after the Indian military struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sent out a firm message to the world that the country exercised its right to respond in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 innocent citizens on its soil.

Singh, the first minister to speak publicly after Operation Sindoor in the early hours on Wednesday, said the Indian armed forces had scripted history by acting with precision, precaution and compassion to destroy camps used to train terrorists in Pakistan and PoK.

Earlier in the day, Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the operation and the PM later lauded the armed forces in a Cabinet meeting he chaired at his residence. The PM is learnt to have told the Cabinet that the national response to the Pahalgam attack was “necessary and had to be undertaken”. He saluted the forces for a precision strike the nation had been waiting for.

The entire Cabinet hailed the “non-escalatory, pre-emptive, and responsive” nature of the strikes by the Indian military and congratulated PM Modi for his leadership.

Before the Cabinet meeting today, the Cabinet Committee on Security also met, its third since the Pahalgam attack. The PM later met and briefed President Droupadi Murmu, the supreme commander of the armed forces, on the operation, even as the government scheduled an all-party meeting to discuss the situation on Thursday. The meeting is expected to pass a resolution backing Operation Sindoor.

Though the PM did not make a public comment on Operation Sindoor, Rajnath Singh spoke on the government’s behalf, stating that India used its right to respond after the attack that was perpetrated on its soil.

“We have undertaken this operation extremely consciously and wisely. This operation was launched with the sole target of destroying the morale of terrorists by targeting their camps and infrastructure. I salute the valour of our armed forces,” said Singh, addressing the 66th Raising Day event of the Border Roads Organisation at Manekshaw Centre here today.

“During Operation Sindoor, we followed the path shown by Lord Hanuman, who, while destroying the Ashok Vatika in Lanka, only targeted those who had targeted innocent people. We also targeted those who targeted us,” said Singh, even as the world urged de-escalation.

The minister reiterated India's position that no civilians were hit. “The armed forces acted with precision, precaution and compassion to destroy camps used to train terrorists in Pakistan and PoK. As per plan, the targets were destroyed and no civilian population was harmed,” Singh said, rejecting Pakistan’s claims about civilian casualties.

The Defence Minister said the forces displayed sensitivity to ensure civilian populations were not affected. “I congratulate the soldiers and officers. I also congratulate PM Modi for boosting the morale of the forces,” said Rajnath Singh.