New Delhi [India], May 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India's precession strike not only destroyed terrorist bases in Pakistan, but also shook their courage.
In his Address to the Nation, PM Modi said, "...The terrorists had never imagined that India could take such a big decision...When India's missiles and drones attacked terrorist bases in Pakistan, not only the buildings of terrorist organisations but their courage was also shaken badly. Terrorist bases, like Bahawalpur and Muridke are universities of global terrorism. The big terrorist attacks of the world, be it 9/11, be it London Tube bombings, or the big terrorist attacks which have happened in India in the last many decades their roots are somehow connected to these terrorist hideouts."
PM Modi said that India's precision strike prompted Pakistan's army to reach out to India's Director General of Military Operations on May 10 to halt all military actions, on land, at sea, and in the air.
"Pakistan had prepared for an attack on the border, but India struck at the heart of Pakistan. India's drones and missiles attacked with precision. They damaged those airbases of the Pakistani Air Forces, of which Pakistan was very proud. India caused heavy damage to Pakistan in the first three days itself, which it had never imagined. That's why after India's aggressive action, Pakistan started looking for ways to escape. Pakistan was pleading to the world to ease tensions. And after suffering heavy losses, Pakistan's army contacted our DGMO on the afternoon of 10th May," PM Modi said.
India had launched surgical strike on terror launch pads along LoC in 2016 and aerial strikes on a terror camp in Pakistan in 2019.
Twenty-six people were killed in the ghastly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. India responded through Operation Sindoor and launched precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), in which over 100 terrorists were killed.
The subsequent aggression by Pakistan was appropriately responded to by the Indian Armed Forces who also pounded Pakistan airbases.
Prime Minister had earlier said that the perpetrators of Pahalgam terror attack would face punishment beyond their imagination.
India had also taken several steps to send a strong message to Pakistan over its support to cross-border terrorism and has put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on Saturday on stoppage of firing and military action following a call made by Pakistan DGMO to his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai.
Lt Gen Ghai, who interacted with the media at a joint press conference on Sunday, said his Pakistan counterpart proposed during an interaction on Saturday that "we cease hostilities".
"My communication with the Pak DGMO was conducted at 15:35 hrs yesterday (Saturday) and resulted in cessation of cross-border firing and air intrusions by either side with effect from 17:00 hrs, May 10, after he proposed that we cease hostilities. We also decided to further speak on May 12 at 12:00 hrs to discuss the modalities that would enable the longevity of this understanding," Lt Gen Ghai said.
"However, disappointingly, expectedly, it took only a couple of hours for the Pakistan Army to violate these arrangements by cross-border and across the Line of Control (LoC) firing, followed by drone intrusions last night and in the early hours of today (Sunday). These violations were responded to robustly," he added.
Lt Gen Ghai said his counterpart was informed about the violations through a hotline message. India made its intent clear that it would respond to the same "fiercely" if repeated, for which the Chief of Army Staff has granted full authority to the Army Commanders.