Pak will pay the price for terror attack: Defence Min

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said Pakistan will pay for the attack at an Indian Army base in Jammu region which claimed six lives.

Addressing a press briefing regarding the Sunjwan base attack and combing operation conducted by the Indian Army, the Defence Minister repeatedly said: "Pakistan will have to pay for the misadventure."

At least five army personnel and a civilian were killed in the attack at Sanjuwan Army base early on Saturday morning.

"Intelligence inputs show that terrorists were controlled by their handlers from across the border. The evidence is being scrutinised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA)."

The Defence Minister said Pakistan was expanding the arch of terror to areas south of Pir Panjal, and the Pakistani Army resorting to ceasefire violations to assist infiltration.

"Terrorists belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which is sponsored by Masood Azhar. He resides in Pakistan and derives support from there," Sitharaman said in Jammu.

The Defence Minister further said, all the evidence have been compiled and will definitely be given to Pakistan. "Even after giving dossiers after dossiers, Pakistan has not taken any action."

She said giving the evidence to Pakistan was a continuous process. "It has to be proved over and over again that they were responsible for the attack."

The Defence Minister while visiting victims in the Military Hospital in Jammu said her heart went out to the courageous soldiers who sacrifice so much for the safety of the nation.

She said three terrorists had been eliminated though there were reports of four.

"The fourth terrorist must have been a guide and may not have entered the Camp area," she explained.

The counter-terrorist operation at the base was called off on Monday at 10.30 a.m. The sanitisation operation is however on, she added.