Brave warriors do not count bodies: Rajnath answers those questioning casualties in air strike

Answering those raising questions over the Indian air strike on terror camp in Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said brave warriors do not count bodies of those killed in an operation.

"Arre sankhya poochte ho aap, kitne log maare gaye? Sankhya poochne walo se kehna chahta hun, Jo yudh-veer hota hai, maare gaye logon ki ginti nahi karta hai (You are asking what is the casualty figure? I want to tell you that brave warriors do not count bodies of those killed)," he said while addressing party workers here in Rajasthan.

His comment came in the wake of questions being raised by various opposition parties about the casualties inflicted in the IAF strike at Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on February 26.

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa has said that the Indian fighter jets had hit the targets given to them but it was not the job of his force to count the bodies.

Indian intelligence sources have said that there were 300 active sim-cards at the camp just before the air strike was conducted, giving a hint about the strength of the terrorists present at the facility.

The Home Minister also referred to the incidents of assaults on some Kashmiris in the country and said he has requested all states to ensure that the Kashmiris are "protected and loved".

"Want to convey a message to the entire country. I heard about a few incidents against Kashmiri children. Kashmiris are, were and will remain our people. I have requested Chief Ministers of all states that Kashmiri students must be protected and loved," he said.

Singh's comments came against the backdrop of an incident in Lucknow on Wednesday when two Kashmiri dry fruit vendors were assaulted by some members of a right-wing fringe group. Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.