Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed Monday to respond strongly to any future “terrorist attack”, and warned that New Delhi would not tolerate “nuclear blackmail” in the event of further conflict with Pakistan.
A weekend ceasefire which US President Donald Trump said he brokered appeared to be holding Monday after four days of intense jetfighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks – the worst violence between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999.
Trump said Monday that US intervention had prevented a “bad nuclear war”.
“We stopped a nuclear conflict… millions of people could have been killed. So I’m very proud of that,” he told reporters at the White House.
Modi, in a televised address to the nation – his first since hostilities began last Wednesday – said Pakistan has chosen to attack rather than help it fight “terrorism”.
“If another terrorist attack against India is carried out, a strong response will be given,” he said.
The conflict followed an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) which killed 26 civilians.
India accused Pakistan of backing the attack, but Islamabad denied involvement.
Spiral to war
The alarming spiral towards all-out war began before dawn on Wednesday, when India launched missile attacks destroying what it called “terrorist camps” in Azad Kashmir.
Each side then accused the other of launching waves of warplane and drone strikes, as well as missile and artillery bombardments that killed at least 60 people on both sides.
“If Pakistan wants to survive, it will have to destroy its terror infrastructure,” Modi said Monday.
“India will strike with precision and decisiveness against the terrorist groups thriving under the cover of nuclear blackmail.
“India’s stand is very clear. Terror and talks cannot go together… Terror and trade cannot go together… Water and blood cannot flow together.”
His address came after the Indian army reported the “first calm night in recent days” in ndian Illegally Occupied Jammu And Kashmir (IIOJK) and along its western border with Pakistan.
