India has decided that any future act of terror will be considered an act of war against the country and will be responded to accordingly, top government officials said. The remarks come amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
With this decision, the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to draw red lines against terror incidents and makes clear its intention to firmly respond to the perpetrators and conspirators, in what is seen as a message to Pakistan — a country linked to various terrorist groups involved in targeting Indians.
Earlier in the day, amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces at his residence in New Delhi.
The meeting took place following India’s strikes at four airbases in Pakistan in the early hours of Saturday in reply to Pakistan’s attack on 26 Indian locations.