New DelhiDefence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the militants who attacked the Army camp in Jammu’s Sunjuwan had handlers across the border and asserted that Pakistan will “pay for this misadventure”.
Addressing a press conference shortly after meeting Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti, Sitharaman said the militants belonged to a Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) module and possibly had support from some locals as well.
“Militants belonged to JeM, sponsored by Masood Azhar residing in Pakistan and deriving support from therein. There is possibilty that they enjoyed local support, though they were controlled by their handlers from across the border,” Sitharaman said.
Six persons, including five soldiers and a civilian, were killed and 10 others were injured during the terror attack. Three militants of the JeM outfit, wearing army fatigues, were gunned down during the counter-operation.
Sitharaman said Pakistan was expanding the arc of terror beyond the Pir Panjal range and resorting to ceasefire violations to abet infiltration of militants into the Indian side of the border. She assured that the government will continue to thwart Pakistan sponsored terror and a counter-terrorism plan has already been put into action.
“Giving the evidences to Pakistan will be a continuous process. It will have to be proved over and over again that they are responsible. Pakistan will have to pay for this misadventure,” she declared.
The defence minister said the counter-militant ops in Sunjuwan was called off at 10.30 am today, however sanitisation operation is still underway. On the reports of presence of four militants, Sitharaman said investigators surmised that the fourth must have been a guide and may not have entered the Camp area.
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Earlier in the day, the defence minister visited those injured in the terror strike on the Army’s Sunjuwan camp at a Military hospital in Jammu while the clearing operation at the attack site was on.
When asked about the filing of an FIR against an Army officer involved in the Shopian firing, Sitharaman said the government must stand by the Army.
“Supreme Court has given a 15 day stay on the FIR itself. We’ll have to see how it goes. We have to stand by our proud soldiers and Army and in the call of duty if they have performed something it has to be contextualized,” she said.
Pak: Indias Statement Irresponsible
Pakistan on Monday rejected allegations that it was involved in the attack on Sunjwan Army camp, saying Indian media and officials make “irresponsible” statements even before any investigation is initiated.
The Foreign Office spokesperson also accused India of carrying out a “smear campaign against Pakistan and the deliberate creation of war hysteria.”
“It is a well-established pattern that Indian officials begin making irresponsible statements and levelling unfounded allegations, even before any proper investigation in any incident has been initiated,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said, when asked about the attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu.
“A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of India’s smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria,” the spokesperson said.
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