Sitharaman sticks to Foreign Secy’s remark on Balakot casualty
Nirmala Sitharaman (File Photo/IANS)
Photo : IANS
Chennai: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the central government’s stand on the number of terrorists killed in the Indian Air Force (IAF) bombing of terror camps in Balakot is what the Foreign Secretary had stated earlier.
“The Indian government’s stand on the casualty figure is the same as that of the Foreign Secretary’s statement,” she said.
Sitharaman also denied link between the air attack on Pakistan terror camps and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters, Sitharaman said India’s Foreign Secretary did not give out any casualty number in his statement made after the IAF attack on the terror camps.
The Defence Minister said India had given proof of terror camps to the Pakistan government, but it did not take any action.
After the Pulwama attack in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were killed and there was information of terrorists planning another attack. Therefore, the IAF destroyed the terror camps in Balakot, said the minister.
Clarifying that the IAF strike on terror camps was not a military action, the Defence Minister said the IAF destroyed terror camps and nobody else was injured in the attack.
Published on: Mar 5, 2019 at 18:42 IST
IANS
