Indian prime minister Narendra Modi today said the country has killed more than 100 terrorists in Pakistan in his first address to the nation since the terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
“India has killed more than 100 terrorists who roamed freely in Pakistan, turned their headquarters into rubble… We will attack the roots of terror,” PM Modi said.
Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliation against terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam last month which left 26 people dead on 22 April. A total of 24 of them were Indian tourists, one tourist from Nepal and a local man who was working as a pony handler.
Survivors of the 22 April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir said the militants had singled out Hindu men. Pakistan denied involvement.
“I dedicate Operation Sindoor to the mothers, sisters and daughters of this nation… Operation Sindoor is not just a name, it is a reflection of people’s sentiments,” Modi added.
“Terrorists dared to wipe the Sindoor from the foreheads of our sisters. That’s why India destroyed the very headquarters of terror. India has killed more than 100 terrorists who roamed freely in Pakistan, turned their headquarters into rubble… We will attack the roots of terror,” he said.
Modi was speaking three days after the ceasefire following 100 days of hostilities from Pakistan.
“When our missiles and drones destroyed terror sites in Pakistan, not only their buildings but their spirit was also demolished… India attacked the heart of Pakistan. We destroyed their air bases, rattled Pakistan, was stunned by our actions… and had to beg for peace,” he added.
India has also accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism. The country claims its neighbour funds funding and training terrorists to stage terror attacks on Indian soil, as part of its efforts to illegally grab Jammu & Kashmir. Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, but administered only in part by each since they were partitioned following independence from the UK in 1947.
“On May 7 the world saw this resolution turn into action. We struck their training centres… they never thought India would strike them. But when Indian missiles and drones hit Pakistan, the foundation of these terrorist groups was shaken… they wiped sindoor off our sisters… we wiped out their centres.”
Modi also added that “nuclear blackmail” will not work against India.
“This is a new normal. India will strike at the heart of terror decisively if our citizens are attacked,” he said.
India launched its attack on Pakistan hours after Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a trade deal between the two countries.
Starmer spoke to Modi on the day of the attack to celebrate the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement announced on 6 May – a deal which will add billions to the UK economy, boost wages and deliver on this government’s Plan for Change.
The government said on the day: “The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi today. The leaders began by celebrating the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement announced today – a deal which will add billions to the UK economy, boost wages and deliver on this government’s Plan for Change.”
The free trade agreement (FTA) with India was described as a “huge economic win for the UK” and a “landmark trade deal”. It emphasised the potential of the Indian market with its economy expected to be the third largest in the world by 2028.
Last year, trade between the UK and India totalled £42.6bn and was already forecast to grow, but the government said the deal would boost that trade by an additional £25.5bn a year by 2040.The UK and India’s trade amounted to £42.6 billion last year and was projected to increase. The government anticipates that a new trade agreement will further enhance this, adding an estimated £25.5 billion annually to the total trade by 2040.
