BBC:
India’s defence ministry has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim of ending its conflict with Pakistan in May, saying the country had not responded to pressure from anyone.
Rajnath Singh was speaking at the opening of a parliamentary debate on the 22 April attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
India blamed Pakistan for the attack – which it denied – and launched a series of strikes, named “Operation Sindoor”, on its neighbour, leading to four days of intense military action from both sides.
Trump has frequently claimed that the ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours was brokered by the US – which India has denied.
On Monday, Singh reiterated that it was “completely incorrect and baseless to say that the military action was stopped because of pressure”.
“India halted its operation because all the political and military objectives studied before and during the conflict had been fully achieved,” he told the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.
He also claimed the decision was taken after a request from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), who “pleaded for relief”.
“It was only after this that the Indian Armed Forces decided to pause operations,” he added. Islamabad has not commented on Singh’s claims.
The escalation in May was the worst military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades, with dozens of people killed in the four-day fighting, before Trump announced a ceasefire between them.
Singh said the purpose of India’s military action was “to destroy the terror nurseries raised by Pakistan over the years”.
He said over 100 “terrorists, their trainers, handlers and associates” were killed in coordinated strikes on nine “terror infrastructure targets” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered-Kashmir in an operation that lasted 22 minutes.
“The objective was to provide justice to the families who lost their loved ones in the Pahalgam terror attack,” he said.
During the proceedings, opposition leaders questioned the government about Islamabad’s claim that it shot down five Indian fighter jets and a drone during the conflict.
Singh denied this and said India’s defence systems had intercepted all incoming projectiles and missiles, adding that no Indian military establishment suffered any damage.
He also said the Indian armed forces could resume military action if there was any further “misadventure” from the Pakistan side.
Earlier in the day, the Indian army said that it had killed “three terrorists” in a gun battle in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Indian TV channels claimed the three were suspected to be behind the April attack – but officials have not confirmed this.
Indian investigators have previously said all three militants involved in the deadly attack were Pakistani nationals from the UN-proscribed militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba
