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Fernandes rules out 'hot pursuit' of ultras: PTI

Union Defence Minister George Fernandes on Saturday ruled out hot pursuit of terrorists across the Line of Control, saying any action to attack and destroy terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would invariably result in the death of innocent people.

"Terrorist camps in PoK and other areas across the LoC are not exclusive zones. They are in civilian enclaves," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Fernandes said, "Any action to attack and destroy these camps will invariably cause collateral damage, resulting in the death of innocent men, women and children and, therefore, will be against the humanitarian principles India has always stood for".

Stressing that New Delhi was determined to defeat the Pakistan-backed proxy war for 10 ten years, he said that India was capable of countering Islamabad's designs, thanks to the army's determination.

Fernandes said in matters of national security "there cannot be a last word till the last of the enemy is annihilated".

The government, he said, was empowered to take any significant decision keeping the country's security interests in view.

Maintaining that the proxy war involved Pakistan's attempts to encroach Indian territory by overrunning posts, Fernandes said another issue of concern was infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan into India.

Foreigners, he said, constituted 70 per cent of mercenaries active in Jammu and Kashmir, who were equipped with "most modern" weapons and means of communications, besides improvised explosive devices and high explosive RDX to target anyone, including innocent civilians.

The minister paid rich tributes to the valour of army and air force personnel who had evicted Pakistani incursions in Kargil last year without crossing the LoC.

"Even our supersonic aircraft that went into action did not fly across the LoC," he said.

Referring to the incident on August 24, when Pakistani soldiers tried to capture an Indian post north of Poonch in J&K, he said about 12 to 14 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several wounded in the Indian retaliatory action.

He also said that in intensified operations against foreign mercenaries, Indian troops had killed 394 terrorists between June and August 24, this year.

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