A day after India carried out a finely executed ‘non-military’ surgical strike destroying a terror camp in Pakistan, India on Wednesday assured the international community that it “does not wish to see” further escalation of the situation.
“Excellencies, this was not a military operation, no military installations were targeted. The limited objective of the preemptive strike was to act decisively against terrorist infrastructure of JeM. India doesn’t wish to see further escalation of the situation. India continue to act with responsibility and restraint,” External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said in her opening remarks at the 16th Foreign Ministers’ meet of the tri-lateral Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping here.
She said it was only after Pakistan’s ‘continuing refusal’ to acknowledge the role of Jaish-e-Mohammad that the government of India decided to take preemptive action.
“….the target was selected and the largest terror camp in order to avoid civilian casualties,” she said.
Swaraj also said that Pulwama attack on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir was actually “a grim reminder for the need for all the countries to show zero tolerance to terrorism”.
Swaraj earlier held a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi here.
Terrorism is at the top of the agenda at the deliberations at the strategically important Foreign Ministers’ meet of trilateral group RIC.
Earlier on her arrival, she was received by Indian ambassador to China Vikram Misri.
This is the external affairs minister’s first overseas visit and attending a multi nation group deliberation after India carried out a massive aerial strike on Tuesday destroying a key terrorist hub at Balakot in Pakistan.
Besides the three-nation RIC deliberations, Ms Swaraj is also expected to hold bilateral meeting with the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.
No ‘escalation’ of situation, India to act with restraint: Sushma assures global community
