India will respond with 'precision' to acts of terror: Army Chief warns Pakistan

In a stern warning to Pakistan, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane said India will respond appropriately and with "precision" to any acts of cross-border misadventure unless Islamabad gives up its policy of state-sponsored terrorism and coercing people in Kashmir to follow its "Azadi narrative".

In an exclusive interview to PTI, the chief of the 1.3 million-strong Army said Pakistan is still following a "myopic" and "limited" agenda of pushing terrorists into Kashmir and called the country a "global risk" to peace and stability.

Referring to the Handwara encounter, Gen. Naravane said India is proud of Col Ashutosh Sharma, the Commanding Officer of 21 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, and four other security personnel who laid down their lives saving civilians from terrorists at a village in Handwara in north Kashmir on Saturday night.

"I would like to emphasise that Indian Army will give proportionate response to all acts of infringement of ceasefire and its (Pakistan's) support to terrorism. The onus remains with Pakistan to bring peace in the region," the Chief of Army Staff said.

"Unless Pakistan gives up its policy of state sponsored terrorism, we will continue to respond appropriately and with precision," he added. After the Pulwama attack, India effected a doctrinal shift in its counter-terror policy by bombing a Jaish-e-Mohammad facility deep inside Pakistan.

Gen Naravane said the recent infiltration attempts by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir showed that Pakistan is not interested in battling the coronavirus pandemic and is still following its "own myopic and limited agenda of pushing terrorists inside India."