PM Modi's Response, Pakistan Will Respond If New Delhi Attacks

ILLUSTRATION/Danau Dal India/DOK PTI Via UN News

JAKARTA - Pakistan insists it is committed to a ceasefire with India, which was agreed after four days of intense military fighting last week. But Pakistan vowed to respond to any aggression in the future by New Delhi.

A statement from Islamabad comes in response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on Monday, in which he warned Pakistan New Delhi would target a "terrorist hiding place" across the border again if there was a new attack on India, without being hindered by a "nuclear shell".

The nuclear-armed neighboring South Asian countries fired missiles and drones targeting their respective military installations after India said it attacked "terrorist infrastructure" locations in Pakistan and Pakistanai Wednesday in retaliation for an attack on Hindu tourists in Indiaaim that killed 26 people.

Pakistan said all its targets were civilians and denied India's accusations that it was behind the task force.

Reported by Reuters, Pakistan's military said on Tuesday, May 13, the death toll in the attack consisted of 40 civilians and 11 of its armed forces. India said five military personnel and 16 civilians were killed.

It was the worst fighting between the two countries in nearly three decades and they agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, following diplomacy and pressure from the United States.

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Islamabad firmly rejected "provocative and inciting statements" made by Modi on Monday.

"At a time when international efforts are being made for regional peace and stability, this statement is a dangerous escalation," he said.

"Pakistan remains committed to the recent understanding of the ceasefire and is taking the necessary steps towards regional de-escalation and stability," the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The majority of India, which is Hindu and Pakistan, which are Muslim, both control parts of the misarchy in the Himalayan region, but claim it in full.

The two neighboring countries have been involved in two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over the region and there have been several other limited clashes, including in 1999 and 2019.

Previously, Modi visited the Adampur air base near the border and repeated his warning to Pakistan as he spoke to Indian Air Force personnel, posing with them for photos.

"We will not differentiate between the government that sponsors terrorism and the mastermind behind terrorism," Modi said, referring to India's response in the event of another attack.

"We will enter their nests and attack them without giving them a chance to survive," he said.