The government decided on Saturday that India will treat any future act of terror on its soil as an “act of war” and respond accordingly, top official sources said, in a clear warning to Pakistan amid an intensifying conflict with the country following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. With this decision, the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to draw a red line against terror incidents and makes clear that it will follow a similar military response as it has after the Pahalgam incident if terrorists linked to Pakistan target India again.
The government’s decision formalises India’s firm response to any future act of terror.
A top government source said, “Any future act of terror in India will be considered an act of war against the country and will be responded to accordingly.”
PM Modi has chaired a number of high-level meetings, including with the security establishment, since the hostilities broke out between the two countries, and the decision was an outcome of extensive consultations.
India has blamed Pakistan-based terror groups for a series of violent incidents targeting soldiers and civilians inside its territory for a long period of time, with the April 22 killing of 26 civilians at Kashmir’s famous tourist site only the latest in such acts.
The Modi government, since coming to power in 2014, has drastically amped up its response to terror incidents linked to Pakistan, with the armed forces, in their most expansive strike against terrorist organisations, targeting nine terror sites in the neighbouring country and Pak-occupied Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan has since then attempted to attack a number of military installations and civilian population along India’s northern and western borders. India has said it has responded befittingly.
India on Saturday said it has effectively blunted Pakistan’s provocative action of employing multiple threats along the western border using drones, long-range weapons and fighter jets, targeting civilian areas and military infrastructure, as the conflict between the two neighbours widened further.
Pakistan has been observed to be moving its troops into forward areas, indicating an “offensive intent”, to further escalate the situation, the Indian military said, adding that it remains in a high state of operational readiness.
As fears of a larger military conflict loom, military spokeswoman Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said the Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistani military.
India has asserted that it was Pakistan that escalated the situation with the Pahalgam terror attack.
