PM underlines response to terror in show of strength

Prime Minister Modi with an S-400 launcher in the background at Adampur air force base in Punjab. "I have come here to-do darshan of our brave soldiers... you have scripted history and will be an inspiration for this generation and the future," he said.

JALANDHAR/NEW DELHI: India's new Lakshman Rekha (red line) against terrorism is crystal clear and New Delhi will respond to any future attack fiercely. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday during a surprise visit to the frontline Adampur airbase in Punjab that doubled up as a show of strength.

With the Russian-origin S-400 missile launcher in the back ground. Modi hailed the achieve ments of the armed forces in the recent four-day conflict with Pakistan, praised "jointness" in the armed response, and said terror bosses in the neighbour ing country were now aware that any attack on India will result in their destruction.

"India's Lakshman Rekha against terrorism is now crystal clear. India will respond strongly if hit by a terror attack and our response will be at a time of our choosing, on our conditions and in our way," he said in the con text of Operation Sindoor during his nearly 30-minute address.

"Thave come here today for a darshan of our brave sol-diers.. you have scripted history and will be an inspiration for this generation and the future."

Modi's visit to the Adampur air-base appeared designed to pune-ture Pakistan's extensive disinformation campaign about striking several Indian military installa tions, including air bases, during the May 7-10 conflict, officials said.

Modi landed at Adampur air port in a C-130J special operations aircraft at 6.15am and stayed at the airbase for nearly 50 minutes, during which time he interacted with air force personnel and sen for officers of the armed forces. Jalandhar deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said Modi's visit was "highly confidential".

In his speech, Modi hailed the armed forces that carried out Operation Sindoor, when India struck nine terror bases in Paki-stan and Pakistan Occupied Kash mir on May 7, and said the opera-tion was the confluence of New Delhi's policy, intention and deci siveness.

"Nine terror bases were demol shed. More than 100 terrorists died. The terror bosses now understand that if they even look at India, they'll invite destruction. You told the Pakistani army, whom the terrorists depend on. that there is no place in Pakistan where they can be safe," Modi said.