'At least 100 terrorists killed, Operation Sindoor still ongoing', announces Modi govt at all-party meet

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told an all-party meeting that 'Operation Sindoor' in retaliation to Pahalgam terror attack is still ongoing and a preliminary assessment has put the casualties in Pakistan at around 100, including hardcore terrorists, even as “ginti jaari hai (head count is on)”, sources said.

At the meeting that lasted around two-and-half hours, Singh told top leaders that India does not want any further escalation as it has achieved its “intended objectives” but at the same time, the country is ready to give a “befitting response” if Pakistan indulges in “any misadventure”.

As queries about details, including casualties, were raised in the meeting, sources said Singh told them that the government could not provide more details as ‘Operation Sindoor’ is “still ongoing” and at this juncture, they cannot provide information that could compromise the military plans. Soon after the meeting, India claimed that it has reliable information that a Pakistani air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised.

Singh told the leaders it is early to give an exact number of fatalities but the preliminary reports suggest that around 100 people, including important hardcore terrorists, were killed. “It will take some time for the exact count. Ginti jaari hei (head count is on). Over a period of time, we can give an exact number. We have damaged all targeted localities,” Singh is quoted as saying.

The Minister said all parties and the entire country stood together as they sent a strong and unanimous message.

The meeting was attended by senior ministers and leaders like Amit Shah, JP Nadda, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju (all BJP), Chirag Paswan (LJP-RV), Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi (both Congress), TR Baalu (DMK), Lavu Krishna Devarayalu (TDP), Sanjay Jha (JDU), John Brittas (CPIM), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), PC Gupta (RJD), Praful Patel (NCP), Srikanth Shinde (SHiv Sena), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT), Sanjay Singh (AAP) and Supriya Sule (NCP-SP) among others.

While Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Kharge, also Congress president, said the defence minister told them that it is a "sensitive time and in the interest of the country, detailed questions are not to be asked", Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju told reporters after the meeting that leaders showed maturity and did not indulge in bickering.

"There were some queries from the opposition, but the Defence Minister said since this was an ongoing operation there cannot be a separate briefing on every incident...The discussions were conducted in a constructive and serious manner given the gravity of the issue at hand. Each leader expressed their views with responsibility and maturity, recognising the major challenge the country is currently facing," Rijiju said.

"We don't do politics just for forming governments but also to build the nation," Rijiju quoted Singh as saying.

Emphasising that several valuable suggestions were put forward during the meeting, he said leaders across the political divide were of the view that there is no place for politics in such critical times. "All leaders unanimously congratulated our armed forces on the success of Operation Sindoor and assured their full support to the government, with no dissent whatsoever," he said.