PM underlines response to terror in show of strength

India's new Lakshman Rekha (red line) against terrorism is crystal clear and New Delhi will respond to any future attack fiercely, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday during a surprise visit to the frontline Adampur airbase in Punjab that doubled up as a show of strength.

- Navrajdeep Singh and Rahul Singh

With the Russian-origin S-400 missile launcher in the background, Modi hailed the achievements of the armed forces in the recent four-day conflict with Pakistan, praised "jointness" in the armed response, and said terror bosses in the neighbouring country were now aware that any attack on India will result in their destruction.

"India's Lakshman Rekha against terrorism is now crystal clear. India will respond strongly if hit by a terror attack and our response will be at a time of our choosing, on our conditions and in our way," he said in the context of Operation Sindoor during his nearly 30-minute address.

"I have come here today for a darshan of our brave soldiers...you have scripted history and will be an inspiration for this generation and the future."

Modi's visit to the Adampur air-base appeared designed to puncture Pakistan's extensive disinformation campaign about striking several Indian military installations, including air bases, during the May 7-10 conflict, officials said.

Adampur, one of the premier bases of the Indian Air Force that is located 25km from Jalandhar town, is among those that Pakistan falsely claimed to have attacked, destroying the Russian-origin S-400 air defence systems deployed there, hitting the runway and fighter jets, and striking a radar site too.

Images from the airbase, home to the IAF's MiG-29 fighters, included a photo of the PM in front of an S-400 launcher as he addressed the air force personnel; the first public image of the longrange air defence system in IAF service. Another photo of Modi interacting with the men and women at the base showed a MiG-29 fighter jet with a fully intact runway in the background.