In a strong statement during his visit to Brussels, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warned that India will retaliate forcefully against any future terrorist attacks, asserting that Indian forces would not hesitate to strike inside Pakistan if required.
Speaking to POLITICO amid high-level trade talks with the European Union, Jaishankar said, “If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan.” His remarks come nearly three weeks after a brief but intense military flare-up between India and Pakistan.
Referring to Pakistan’s support for terrorism, Jaishankar said, “It [Pakistan] is a country very steeped in its use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy… If you call the commitment to terrorism a source of tension, absolutely, it is.”
The conflict began in early May after a deadly terror attack in an Indian-administered region claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly Hindus. India blamed Pakistan for sponsoring the attack—a charge that Islamabad denied. In the days that followed, both nations engaged in missile strikes and aerial clashes, with a ceasefire declared on May 10.
While both sides offered conflicting versions of the events, online images indicated that at least one Mirage and one Rafale jet may have been shot down. U.S. and French sources reportedly told POLITICO that Pakistani forces used Chinese-made systems in the engagements.
Although Jaishankar refrained from confirming specific aircraft losses, he underlined the success of India’s offensive, stating, “The fighting stopped on the 10th for one reason and one reason only—we hit and disabled eight Pakistani airfields.” He pointed to satellite imagery as evidence of the damage inflicted.
He further accused Pakistan of continuing to harbor and train terrorists openly. “Pakistan is training thousands of terrorists and unleashing them on its southern neighbor. We are not going to live with it,” he asserted. “If you continue with such barbaric acts, there will be retribution — not just against foot soldiers, but against the terror leadership itself.”
Jaishankar’s comments signal India’s hardened stance against cross-border terrorism, with a clear message that future provocations will invite swift and decisive retaliation.
