IAF, Navy chiefs brief PM Modi as forces prepare response to Pahalgam terror attack

The IAF chief’s meeting at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg took place hours after Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi spoke to the Prime Minister on the situation in the northern Arabian Sea.

Given the Navy’s ongoing drills in the Arabian Sea, all operational frontline warships of the Western Fleet with maritime patrol aircraft, and fleet auxiliaries are out at sea.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh leaves after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sunday. (ANI)

Defence sources said the Navy is well-positioned to act on any possible option as soon as the executive orders are given.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at the Sanatan Sanskriti Jagran Mahotsav in New Delhi, said, “As Defence Minister, it is my duty to ensure the security of the country’s borders along with our soldiers. It is my duty to join our armed forces in giving a befitting reply (‘muh tod jawab’) to those who dare to cast an evil eye on our country.”

“You all know Prime Minister Narendra Modi very well, you are familiar with his work style and determination. You are also aware of the risk-taking ability he has learnt in life. I want to assure you that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, what you wish, will happen (‘jaisa aap chahate hain, vaisa ho kar rahega’),” Singh said.

The one-on-one conversations of the IAF and Navy chiefs with the Prime Minister follow the meeting of the military brass at the PM’s residence on April 29 where Modi was quoted saying that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response” to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Reposing “complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the armed forces”, Modi said it is “our national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism”.

The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Singh and Navy chief Admiral Tripathi.

Officials said individual meetings of the service chiefs and the PM allow a free and frank exchange of inputs.

“Such meetings provide space for discussion of specific targets and objectives, emergency requirements, service-specific likely challenges, and genuine timelines,” an official told The Indian Express.

These developments have prompted Pakistan to place its troops on high alert along the Line of Control. Sources said there were inputs that around 30 per cent of troops of its frontline units would remain deployed at forward posts.

The inputs stated that the Pakistan Army had also kept detachments of heavy weapons ready, and stepped up its air defences in recent days while carrying out reinforcement of troops.

Sources said Indian troop redeployments and weapon readiness had been carried out to counter any preemptive or retaliatory measures from Pakistan across domains.