Don't test India's resolve: Antony to Pakistan

New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony warned Pakistan to not test India's resolve or the capacity of its armed forces by unprovoked aggressive actions on the Line of Control (LoC). Sending out a strong message to Pakistan for the killing of five Indian soldiers near Poonch on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday by its troops, Antony said India is capable of upholding the sanctity of the LoC.

"Our restraint should not be taken for granted nor should the capacity of our armed forces or resolve of the government to uphold the sanctity of the Line of Control never be doubted," said the Defence Minister while admitting that "Pakistan Army specialist forces" had carried out the attack on an Indian patrol and killed five soldiers.

But External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that no decision had been taken on the diplomatic process and talks with Pakistan. He backed Antony saying his statement on Tuesday was forced under opposition pressure.

"There is a time and place for everything and we will decide when it needs to be done. Antony made the earlier statement under pressure from the opposition," said Khurshid.

Antony was forced to clarify on who the government believed was behind the attack by a strident opposition which had put the minister on the mat for his earlier statement that the strike was carried out by "20 heavily armed terrorists along with persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniforms".

This remark was in sharp contrast to a press release by the Army on Tuesday which said that the patrol was targeted by "20 heavily armed terrorists along with soldiers of Pak Army". But the Defence Ministry withdrew the first press release just hours after Antony made a statement in Parliament and issued another echoing the minister's version.

While the first press release blamed the attack on "Pak Border Action Team", the second one just said "A patrol of Indian Army comprising of one Non Commissioned Officer and five Other Ranks was ambushed on our side of Line of Control" without any mention to Pakistan.