Following the fresh strikes exchanged between India and Pakistan on May 7-8, the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the strikes carried out by Pakistan across northern and western states of India.
"The attack on Pahalgam on April 22 was the first escalation by Pakistan, in response to which the Indian Armed Forces has retaliated accordingly," said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Following the fresh strikes exchanged between India and Pakistan on May 7-8, the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the strikes carried out by Pakistan across northern and western states of India.
The debriefing was led by MEA Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and IAF Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
The Foreign Secretary also addressed the rise in disinformation following the Pahalgam Attack on April 22.
"The attack on Pahalgam on April 22 was the first escalation by Pakistan, in response to which the Indian Armed Forces has retaliated accordingly," said Misri.
Regarding the involvement of TRF in the Pahalgam attack, Misri reiterated that the terror group works as an offshoot and front for Lashkar-e-Taiba. Misri added that in the UNSC meet when the matter of TRF and LeT's involvement in the attack was raised, Pakistan was the only nation to oppose it.
Misri further reiterated that India only targeted terrorist organisations and camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during Operation Sindoor. No military targets were affected.
The foreign secretary added that Pakistan remains a safe haven for several globally recognised terrorists such as Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed
On the killing of alleged civilians in Pakistan, Misri stated that the individuals eliminated during Operation Sindoor were terrorists, not civilians.
"Giving terrorists a state funeral must make sense for Pakistan, but not to us," he said, adding further that the retaliation strikes by Islamabad have impacted civilians in India across the LoC and border towns.
As per government data, 16 people have been killed and 59 are injured due to Pakistani firing and attacks in India.
On the water dispute between India and Pakistan, Misri said - "Over the last year and a half to two years, India has been in communication with the Government of Pakistan regarding negotiations over the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and its reassessment," adding the Pakistan has not come to the table for dialogue and is the one violating the treaty by creating legal roadblocks for India.
Earlier on Thursday, the Defence Ministry issued a statement confirming the fresh overnight strikes exchanged between the nations. In the statement, India stated that Pakistan attempted to engage military targets in Northern and Western India, including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj using drones and missiles.
The debris of these missiles and drones are being recovered from various areas across India, which confirm the Pakistani attack.
As per the Defence Ministry, these missiles and drones were neutralised by the Indian Armed Forces. Defence Ministry added that in retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan and effectively neutralised the Lahore Air Defence System.
The ministry also officially confirmed the death toll due to Pakistani firing at the Line of Control. As per the official statement, at least 16 civilians have been killed due to heavy firing, including three women and five children.