No Pakistani soldier or civilian died in Balakot airstrike: Swaraj
No Pakistani soldier or civilian died in the air strike at Balakot in Pakistan in February, MEA Sushma Swaraj said yesterday. Addressing BJP's women-workers in Ahmedabad, she said Indian military was given a "free hand" in the operation but was clearly told that no Pakistani civilian or Pakistani army soldier should be killed and there be "not even a scratch" on the Pakistani army.
Army was given free hand but also two directions: Swaraj
Sushma said, "We told them (the international community) that our airstrike was in self-defense...we had given a free hand to the Army but had also given two directions too - no civilian of Pakistan should die and Pakistan's Army should not be touched." "Your target should be those terrorists of JeM which had taken responsibility for killing 40 persons in Pulwama," she said.
India bombed JeM terror camps post the Pulwama terror attack
"Our armed forces were told to target only Jaish-e- Mohammed which was behind the Pulwama terror attack and they did just that - destroyed their camp and returned," the senior BJP leader said. The IAF had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan on February 26, in response to the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Airstrike was carried out in self-defense, said Sushma
Swaraj said the airstrike was carried out in self- defense. "When we carried out the airstrike, we had told the international community that we took the step only in self- defense," she said, adding that the community supported India over the airstrike. Lauding PM Modi, Swaraj said he has emerged as a top international leader who sets the agenda for the world.
Congress-led UPA government failed, Swaraj over 2008 Mumbai terror attack
On the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the minister said the then Congress-led UPA government had failed to take along other countries to isolate Pakistan despite the fact that 40 persons belonging to 14 countries were also killed in the strike.
Pakistan objected OIC invitation to India, got snubbed: Sushma
Taking a jibe at Pakistan's attempts to isolate India, Sushma said that Pakistan had objected to the invitation extended to India for a meet of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Abu Dhabi last month, but the host county UAE snubbed Islamabad. Sushma was invited as the 'guest of honor' for the inaugural session of the OIC meeting.
