PM Modi took questions from the Indian diaspora at a townhall in London
Highlights
- "Pak army answered call at noon. We told them," PM Modi said
- PM Modi was addressing the Indian community in London on Wednesday
- India carried out surgical strikes across LoC on September 28-29 night
Before going public with the surgical strikes, India waited an hour to first inform Pakistan about the operation that was launched in 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, addressing the Indian diaspora in London.
India had carried out the
strikes across the Line of Control on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
"Since 11 in the morning, we were trying to contact them over the phone but they were afraid and wouldn't take our call. I had instructed our officers to tell the Pakistani army that we did it. We did not hide it. At noon, they answered the call. We told them," said PM Modi answering a question at a townhall called 'Bharat ki Baat, Sabke Saath'.
The strikes were launched days after
terrorists attacked an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, killing 19 jawans.
"Some cowards attacked and killed our jawans who were sleeping in tents. Will anyone of you want me to remain silent? Shouldn't such an act be answered in stronger terms?" the Prime Minister said to an applause from the gathering.
Launching a sharp attack on Pakistan, PM Modi asserted that he won't tolerate those who 'run an industry of exporting terror and kill innocent Indians'.
"They don't have the power to fight a war but attack from behind. This is Modi, he knows how to respond in that language," he said.
The entire operation was wrapped in secrecy till the Indian army held a press conference to say that seven terrorist launch pads were targeted up to two kilometres across the LoC and that "scores of terrorists were killed."
PM Modi said the operation was implemented "100 per cent as planned".