No unprovoked attack from across border shall go unanswered: Sitharaman

Team Udayavani, Jun 5, 2018, 5:16 PM IST

New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that the Army will continue to respect the ongoing Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir but asserted that no unprovoked attack from across the border will go unanswered as the forces have been given the right to hit back. 

Sitharaman, addressing a press conference on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the NDA government, said the Army was given the right to adequately respond to any cross-border attacks or unprovoked firing. 

Notwithstanding India’s announcement of Ramzan ceasefire and talks between the Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries, there have been incidents of cross-border firing along the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir and nearly a dozen grenade attacks by militants within a week in the Valley.

“It is our duty to keep our borders safe. We shall be alert and ensure that no unprovoked attacks go without us responding. It is the duty of the defence ministry and the forces to keep India safe,” Sitharaman said.

The minister was responding to questions on the firing along the Indo-Pak border despite the two sides agreeing to a truce.

Sitharaman said the Army was taken on board before the Home Ministry announced the ceasefire in the troubled state. 

Replying to another question, the defence minister said it is not her ministry’s role to determine whether the ongoing Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir has been successful or not. 

“We honour the ceasefire. We have been given room to hit back when there is an unprovoked attack. The Defence ministry’s role is not to assess whether the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir has been successful or not,” she said.

Asked whether the ceasefire will be extended, she said, “It is only announced for Ramzan.”

The government had announced the suspension of operations against militants during the period of Ramzan, which started from May 17.