India reacted responsibly to Pakistani provocation: Foreign secretary
India’s military strikes early on Saturday were a response to the escalatory and provocative actions of Pakistan, which is engaged in a “wanton campaign” of targeting civilians in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said.
Misri debunked Pakistan’s claims about destroying or damaging military installations, critical infrastructure, and power and cyber systems in counter strikes during a briefing on Operation Sindoor as hostilities sharply escalated between the two sides with the use of missiles, combat jets, armed UAVs and long-range weapons.
Pakistan’s activities over the past three days were “escalatory and provocative in nature”, and India has “defended and reacted in a responsible and measured fashion to these provocations and these escalations”, Misri said while addressing the briefing alongside Col Sofiya Qureshi of the army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the air force.
The two women officers offered a detailed account of India’s strikes on eight military sites in Pakistan, including airbases, command and control centres and radar sites, which were conducted in retaliation for Pakistan’s attacks on 26 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Gujarat.
Misri said Pakistan is continuing its “execrable and wanton campaign of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure”, especially in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, and making a “consistent attempt to sow discord between communities in India”.