Pakistan a terrorist state, should be isolated: Rajnath after Uri attack

Pakistan is a terrorist state and should be identified and isolated, home minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday, blaming Islamabad for Sunday’s militant attack in north Kashmir’s Uri that left 17 soldiers dead.

In a series of strongly worded tweets, the home minister said there was conclusive evidence that the group of four heavily armed attackers were highly trained.

“I am deeply disappointed with Pakistan’s continued and direct support to terrorism and terrorist groups,” he wrote on the microblogging site.

The attack in the Kashmiri garrison town was the worst on the Indian army in 26 years, since militancy broke out in the Valley in the 1990s. Uri is a strategic army base where 12,000 soldiers are stationed and guard the Line of Control.

Singh chaired a meeting to review the situation after the attack earlier in the day and later said he had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about it. “I have apprised the PM regarding the deliberations of the security review meeting held at my residence this afternoon,” he tweeted.

National security adviser Ajit Doval, home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Intelligence Bureau special director Rajiv Jain and other senior officials from ministries of home and defence participated in the meeting chaired by Singh.

Singh’s comments came hours after the bodies of the militants were recovered and combing operations began.

Modi earlier vowed to punish those behind the “cowardly” and “despicable” attack that also left four militants dead and scores of soldiers injured.

Singh was scheduled to leave for trips to Russia and the US which he postponed following the attack.