India won't hesitate to retaliate: Parrikar on ceasefire violations

 With Pakistan continuing to violate the ceasefire, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has directed security forces not to hold back and retaliate with “double the force”.

His comments came after an Army jawan was on Tuesday injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Pallanwala sector of Jammu district.

This was the fifth ceasefire violation in the past one week.

Underlining that the number of ceasefire violations across the LoC have reduced as compared to last year, Parrikar, however, noted that the violations have increased across the International Border.

Asked what has been his direction to the security forces, Parrikar, who was interacting with defence journalists on Tuesday night, said, “Our (National Democratic Alliance government) response is don’t hesitate. React appropriately without holding yourself back.”

He said that if there are any ceasefire violations, the Indian forces should retaliate “with double the force” and if there is an attack on army posts, the terrorists need to be neutralised.

He stressed that the Indian forces don’t violate ceasefire agreement but only respond to violations by Pakistani troops.

On the attack by Bodo militants in Assam, Parrikar dismissed suggestions that the army was late in reacting to the attack and said they had to wait for a request from the local administration.

“We were alert about the attack even before the news was flashed in the media. The armed forces stationed there were ready, but we had to wait for request from local administration,” Parrikar said.

“As soon as the local administration requested, we deployed the forces,” he said.

Parrikar said 73 columns of the army were now deployed in Assam, where Bodo militants massacred dozens of tribals last week.