Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said the country’s armed forces are capable of tackling the threat emanating from Pakistan.
The minister’s statement came days after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat claimed terror camps in Balakot inside Pakistan have reactivated months after the IAF carried out airstrikes against the alleged facility.
Speaking to reporters after the commissioning of offshore patrol vessel for the Indian Coast Guard on Wednesday, the Defence Minister said: “Don’t worry our security forces are fully prepared.”
General Rawat claimed that about 500 terrorists were waiting to infiltrate India with the support of the Pakistani armed forces. He indicated that the Indian military may carry out another anti-terror operation across the border to destroy this alleged terror infrastructure.
Pakistan termed his statement "irresponsible" while warning of “serious consequences” if the Indian military conducts any operations.
The Pakistan government's media wing Inter State Public Relations (ISPR) accused India of trying to divert the world's attention from the Kashmir situation, saying that the region has been under siege by India since 5 August.
"Accusations of infiltration/presence of alleged terrorists camps are pretext for a false flag operation/misadventure which if tried shall have serious consequences for regional peace Pak Armed Forces are fully prepared to respond to any aggression/misadventure regardless of cost," an ISPR statement said.
The Pakistan military said Indian military commanders were expressing their "frustration due to their failure to handle the situation" in Kashmir.
In the past few weeks, Indian authorities and military officers have accused Pakistan of reactivating terrorist camps in retaliation for India's decision to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations escalated after India carried out an aerial strike in Balakot inside Pakistan in late February to destroy alleged terror infrastructure operated by the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group.
The move was to avenge the killing of 40 Indian security personnel in a suicide bombing attack on 14 February.
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