Pak will pay for Sunjwan attack, says Sitharaman

Jammu: With two terror strikes on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in two days, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday repeatedly declared that Pakistan will "pay" for its role in the attacks.

The minister said she could not "state a timeline" for action against Pakistan. "But will say this, Pakistan will pay for this misadventure.

I repeat, Pakistan will pay for it," Sitharaman said. Stating that the terrorists who attacked the Army camp in Sunjwan had handlers across the border, the Defence Minister said after meeting Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti, that the terrorists belonged to a Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) module and possibly had support from some locals as well. "Terrorists belonged to JeM, sponsored by Masood Azhar residing in Pakistan and deriving support from therein.

There is a possibility that they enjoyed local support, though they were controlled by their handlers from across the border," Sitharaman said.Six persons, including five soldiers and a civilian, were killed and 10 others were injured during the terror attack.
Three terrorists of the JeM outfit, wearing army fatigues, were gunned down during the counter-operation.

Sitharaman said Pakistan was expanding the arc of terror beyond the Pir Panjal range and resorting to ceasefire violations to abet infiltration of terrorists into the Indian side of the border. She assured that the government will continue to thwart Pakistan sponsored terror and a counter-terrorism plan has already been put into action.