New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday continued his discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan and the three service chiefs on the anti-terror ‘Operation Sindoor’ amid little signs of Pakistan trying to de-escalate tensions.
The discussions revolved around assessing the success achieved in the anti-terror operation and preparations to foil an attempted offensive by Pakistan which is reported to have moved troops into forward areas, indicating offensive intent to further escalate the situation.
Apart from discussing the future course, PM Modi is believed to have discussed the continuous violation of the ceasefire by Pakistan in the sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) and the border.
Chiefs of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) also shared details about the terrorists – including those wanted in the IC-814 flight’s hijack to Kandahar in 1999 – killed in ‘Operation Sindoor’ so far.
PM Modi’s fresh discussions on the ongoing operation came on a day when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, calling for de-escalation of tensions at the India-Pakistan border, and offered US support in holding constructive talks to prevent further escalation.
Rubio also spoke to Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, conveying the same message.
On Friday, PM Modi was involved in detailed discussions with military commanders, strategists and veterans. Those who took part in the discussions included former Air Force chiefs, Army chiefs, and Navy chiefs, sources said.
Earlier, the Indian Armed Forces briefed media persons about the violation of airspace by Pakistan on Friday night and the forceful response given by the Indian side.
India responded strongly to Pakistan’s repeated drone and missile attacks and hit at least eight military targets inside Pakistan on Friday night with precision, thereby causing significant damage, the Centre told the Press, as part of a special briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Six Pakistani military bases were targeted with precision while one radar site and one aviation base was targeted in Indian strikes, informed the special team led by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, flanked by two women officers Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting at least nine terrorist base camps across the LoC and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), to avenge the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, in which 26 people were killed.
(IANS)
