New Delhi: After nine days of heavy mortar shelling and gunfire by Pakistan and a massive retaliation by India, firing along the International Border (IB) in Jammu subsided on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pakistan has been taught a “befitting lesson” with the Indian Army “shutting their mouth” and that the neighbouring country “will not dare to repeat it again”. The comment came even as the ministry of external affairs said “it is for Pakistan to escalate or de-escalate” and that “we (India) will not talk (to Pakistan) out of fear, but we have no fear of talks”.
Firing was last reported from the Pakistani side at 8 pm Thursday, followed again by heavy Indian retaliation, sources said.
Sources confirmed that the Indian retaliation in the past few days is the biggest ever and that 35 Pakistanis, including 12 Pakistan Rangers personnel, had been killed.
Over 48,000 rounds and 800 mortar shells have been fired by India in retaliatory firing in the past few days, resulting in the destruction of 50 Pakistani border outposts and putting Pakistan on the backfoot.
Speculation was also rife that India may have positioned heavy artillery near the border and kept its front-line Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft in readiness to prepare for any dramatic escalation by the Pakistan Army, thereby sending a strong message to Pakistan. “Pakistan has got a befitting lesson. They will not dare to repeat it again. Our jawans have shut their mouth,” Mr Modi was quoted saying.
