Page 1499 - Politics
Balakot air strike was certain to happen, excellent operation: Ex-Army chief
Ex-Army Chief General Bikram Singh on Tuesday hailed the Indian Air Force (IAF) for carrying out multiple air strikes at Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and said that it was certain to happen."It is an excellent operation that has been undertaken. It was certain it'll happen, it was writing on the wall as PM had announced it. We've seen that earlier; when PM announced after Uri, we went in for surgical strike 1. This is surgical strike 2," said Gen Singh.He also said that this action will send a correct message to Pakistan as well as to the terrorists that "no more mischief will be tolerated".Touching upon the strategic significance of the chosen targets, Singh said: "The target that has been selected is very much in Pakistan, it is not in PoK. It is the expression of our interest and our resolve."The IAF on Tuesday attacked JeM's terror camp in Balakot area. The JeM had claimed responsibility for attacking a convoy of CRPF personnel in
Punjab border areas on high alert after IAF strikes
Punjab put its border districts on high alert on Tuesday following the air strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) across the Line of Control, undertaken by India as a retaliatory measure for the February 14 Pulwama terror attack.
PM, Jaitley brief VP Naidu about air strikes in Pak
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday briefed Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on the scale and effectiveness of the IAF's preemptive air strikes on terror camps run by Jaish-e-Mohammed across the Line of Control in Pakistan, sources said. The Prime Minister spoke to Naidu over phone while the Finance Minister visited the Vice President's residence at Maulana Azad road in Lutyens' Delhi during lunch time and briefed him about the anti-terror air strikes carried out by the Indian Air Force during the wee hours Tuesday. The Prime Minister also earlier briefed President Ram Nath Kovind about the air strikes. In a swift and precise air strike following the Pulwama attack, India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, officials said. The operation, described as a non-military, preemptive strike, was welcomed by the entire political
Pak retaliation will prove it shelters terrorists: Pawar
Any retaliation by Pakistan to India's air strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed's terror camp in that country will prove that it provides shelter to terrorists, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said Tuesday. The former defence minister, talking to reporters here, lauded the Indian Air Force for the strikes, adding India's defence forceshave made citizens feel proud. It would not be proper to politicise the air strikes, Pawar said. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the IAF had carried out such strikes earlier also, but there was no politicisation (of the same). "The credit always went to the Army. Now if the credit is being given to Prime Minister Modi, then credit should also be given to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat," he said. India conducted a major preemptive strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in Delhi. JeM had claimed responsibility for .
Business as usual on cross-LoC trade: officials
It was business as usual on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road on Tuesday as 70 trucks crossed the LoC between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir at Kaman Post, hours after IAF pounded Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps in Pakistan. As many as 35 trucks carrying goods from Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre at Uri entered PoK as part of the cross-Line of Control trade between the divided parts of the state, officials said. They said an equal number of trucks arrived from the other side at the trade facilitation centre on the Indian side. The exchange of goods, which is held on barter basis, takes place from Tuesday to Friday every week. The trade on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road was started in October 2008 as a confidence building measure as part of the composite Indo-Pak dialogue. The trade has been suspended several times in the past whenever there was any tension between the two countries like in the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In a swift and precise air strike ...
Families of Punjab CRPF martyrs hail action against JeM in Pakistan
The families of four CRPF martyrs in the Pulwama terror attack on Tuesday hailed the strikes carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) inside Pakistan to decimate terrorist camps there.
Modi accuses Congress govt in Rajasthan of denying farmers benefits of central schemes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday attacked the Congress government in Rajasthan, saying it is denying the small farmers the benefit of the direct cash transfer scheme of his government by not providing a list of those eligible. There should not be politics on such an issue, he said at a public rally here. "Rajasthan has not provided list of farmers for the scheme launched by the Centre. Welfare of poor and farmers is the priority of our government but it is sad that schemes meant for them are subjected to politics," he said. "You should not worry. We are after them and will make sure that they submit the list and the benefits reach the farmers," the prime minister said referring to the recently launched PM Kisan Samman Yojna. "The first instalment of Rs 2,000 was transferred to the bank accounts of more than one crore farmers of the country under the PM Kisan Sammna Nidhi Yojna launched from Gorakhpur of Uttar Pradesh. We are going to give this benefit to more than 12 crore small ..
No hiccups in AIADMK-DMDK alliance talks: TN Minister
The ruling AIADMK Tuesday said there were no hiccups in alliance talks with Vijayakant-led DMDK for coming Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and expressed confidence the two parties will reach an agreement. Senior party leader and state Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar also claimed some parties in the DMK alliance were holding talks with the AIADMK for a possible tie-up but refused to divulge who they were. When asked "what was happening" between AIADMK and DMDK, he told reporters that "good" things were happening. His comments come in the backdrop of reports that DMDK was seeking higher number of seats and was also in touch with the DMK. The AIADMK has been in talks with DMDK after it finalised poll pacts with the BJP and PMK on February 19. "Good (things) are happening, there is no problem. Everything will end on a cordial note, there is no second opinion about it," Jayakumar said. He said rivals' wish to see that a strong alliance did not materialise under the AIADMK ...
Australia asks India, Pak to exercise restraint
Australia Tuesday urged both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint after Indian Air Force carried out a pre-dawn strike on the biggest training camp of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot. "Australia urges both sides to exercise restraint, avoid any action which would endanger peace and security in the region and engage in dialogue to ensure that these issues are resolved peacefully," the Australian Foreign Ministry said. The statement was released by the Australian Embassy here. It said Pakistan must take urgent and meaningful action against terrorist groups in its territory, including Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama, and Lashkar-e-Taiba. "Pakistan must do everything possible to implement its own proscription of Jaish-e-Mohammed. It can no longer allow extremist groups the legal and physical space to operate from its territory," the Australian Foreign Ministry said. "These steps would make a substantial ...
EU urges 'maximum restraint' from India, Pakistan after air strike
The EU on Tuesday called on New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise "maximum restraint" after Indian warplanes attacked a militant camp in Pakistan, sending tensions soaring between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals. "We remain in contact with both countries and what we believe is essential is that all exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions," EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters.
Cong, BJP in Telangana hail pre-emptive air strikes
The Congress and BJP in Telangana Tuesday hailed the pre-emptive air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, with TPCC suggesting the Army carry out a surgical strike on them, the way U.S. did to eliminate Osama Bin Laden. "The way Osama Bin Laden was killed by the US army in Pakistan, we feel that it is appropriate that the Indian Army should also carry out such (surgical) operations against Pakistan aided terror outfits," Telangana Pradesh Congress president Uttam Kumar Reddy, a former IAF fighter pilot, said. He said Pakistan was undoubtedly supporting terror outfits like JeM and LeT to carry out a covert warfare against India. The whole nation appreciates the surgical strike carried out by the Indian Army, he said. "As a former @IAF_MCC fighter pilot, my heart swells with pride at the skill & valour of the Mirage 2000 pilots who destroyed Pakistani terror camps across the LOC. Congratulations to the Air Warriors!#IndianAirForce," he tweeted I salute our @IAF_MCCs ...
Owaisi hails IAF air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi Tuesday hailed Indian Air Force's strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed's terror camp in Pakistan and said the Indian defence forces should be prepared to tackle any retaliatory action. India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, officials said. "I was expecting this sort of response within 2 or 3 days after the Pulwama terror attack. I welcome this step... We stand with the government on this," Owaisi told reporters here. He said, "I am sure that our Navy or Air Force are on alert, if Pakistan wants to take some stupid action (in response to the air strikes)". The strike comes amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the February 14 suicide attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group in Kashmir's Pulwama district that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.
Attacks are fine but troopers' safety should have been ensured: Bengal jawan's wife
West Bengal's martyred CRPF trooper Bablu Santra's wife on Tuesday said the government can do whatever it feels is correct to avenge the Pulwama attack but it should have ensured the troopers' safety.
Imran asks armed forces, citizens to 'prepare for all eventualities'
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed Pakistan's armed forces and citizens to "remain prepared for all eventualities" after the Indian Air Force (IAF) jets hit the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan.
'India should continue pre-emptive attacks and snap sports links with Pakistan'
India has done the right thing by striking against the JeM's biggest training camp at Balakot in Pakistan and should continue to do so, the father of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper C. Sivachandran, who lost his life in the Pulwama terror attack, said on Tuesday.
India briefs foreign envoys on air strike on JeM camp in Pakistan
India on Tuesday apprised the envoys of all major countries about its air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest terror training camp in Pakistan, official sources said. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and and other Secretaries have been briefing foreign envoys, including from the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom, they said. It is learnt that Gokhale briefed the envoys of the P-5 countries. Envoys of Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Turkey and Indonesia were also briefed about the air strike. "We are very happy that the Indian government has informed us in a quick and informed way about what happened. We are informing our capitals and our capitals will decide what opinion has to be formed," said Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, Dean of Diplomatic Corps in India after meeting Gokhale. He further said, "The information is that they did not affect any civilian or any Pakistani military installation." In a swift and precise air strike following the .
Kejriwal postpones indefinite hunger strike
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday postponed his indefinite hunger strike for full statehood in view of the "Indo-Pak situation".
Balakot was hub of JeM
When India decided to raise the bar after the Pulwama attack, Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan was on the radar of Indian intelligence agencies for being a hub of Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Owaisi praises Centre, says India has right to attack in self-defence
India has a right to attack in self-defence in accordance with the Charter of the United Nation Article 51, said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while praising the Government of India and Indian Air Force for attacking Jaish-e-Mohammed's terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Tuesday morning. "I was expecting this sought of action after the Pulwama attack. It is a right step taken by the government. We stand with the government. Art 51 in the charter gives us the right of self-defence. If a country unable to stop non-state actors then another country which is a victim of the terror or violence has a right to act in self-defence, Asaduddin Owaisi said to media persons in Hyderabad. "Though foreign secretary has called it a non-military action this is a step which we were expected from the government long time back. Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e..whatever that name is..I won't call it Taiba because it is Lashkar-e-shayateen. The government should go after these ..
Israeli Spyder used to shoot down Pakistani drone in Gujarat
The drone was brought down in Ambasa village by the Israeli missile Derby, the sources added.This is the first time that Spyder has been used for taking down any enemy aircraft, they said.The Spyder defence missile system was deployed for operational role in 2017.Early this morning, the Indian Air Force carried out air strikes at terror camps at multiple places in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, destroying camps and eliminating a large number of terrorists.