Intended objectives obtained, India has no interest in escalation: Govt

HOURS before India launched an attack on air defence systems in Lahore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told an all-party meeting on Thursday that the 'intended objectives have been obtained by Operation Sindoor' and India has no interest in further escalation.

- PREETHA NAIR @ New Delhi

RESPONDING to Pakistan's allegations of Indian military escalation, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday said "the original escalation" was the April 22 attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed by terrorists found to have links with Pakistan.

"The original escalation was by Pakistan on April 22. We are the ones who are responding to that escalation with the action that was taken yesterday (Wednesday) morning. And again, I would like to emphasise that the action was restrained; it was directed towards non-civilian, non-military targets, and confined to terrorist camps," he said.

"Any further action by Pakistan is nothing but escalation by Pakistan now, and will be responded to and is being responded to appropriately," he said. Pakistan has claimed civilian casualties in Operation Sindoor. To counter this narrative, Misri during a press conference showed images of Pakistan Army personnel "at the funerals of terrorists."