Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is chairing a high-level security meeting with the Chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force at South Block on Friday morning, amid rising military tensions with Pakistan following India’s counter-terror operations across the border.
The ongoing meeting is expected to focus on the current security scenario and the Indian Armed Forces’ preparedness in light of potential retaliatory moves by Pakistan.
The meeting comes a day after Rajnath Singh addressed an all-party meeting convened by the Central government to brief Opposition leaders on the scope and impact of ‘Operation Sindoor’, India’s large-scale counter-terror offensive launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir.
Calling it “one of the most expansive counter-terror operations in recent years,” Singh, according to sources cited by IANS, revealed that over 100 terrorists were neutralised in precision strikes on camps and infrastructure located across the Line of Control and in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
He reiterated that while India does not seek escalation, the armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any provocation.
“There is no intention to escalate, but if enemy forces strike again, we will not hesitate to retaliate,” Singh asserted during the briefing.
The all-party meeting saw participation from key opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi, and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju described the meeting as a “rare moment of political unity,” with leaders cutting across party lines to praise the armed forces and endorse the government’s counter-terror stance.
“All parties stood united in support of the government and the Armed Forces. They agreed that national security transcends political differences,” Rijiju told reporters after the meeting.
(With IANS inputs)