Don’t want further escalation: Sushma Swaraj

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said India wants to avoid any "further escalation of the situation" and will "continue to act with responsibility and restraint" even as she sought Beijing's support for listing Masood Azhar, founder of terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a day after the Indian Air Force crossed the LoC to strike at JeM terror camps in Pakistan.

Swaraj, who is in China to attend the Russia-India-China (RIC) foreign ministers’ meet, made a strong statement against Pakistan and its refusal to act against terrorist groups on its soil. Justifying the predawn air strike in Pakistan's Balakot, Swaraj also spoke about the "grief and anger" in India after the Pulwama terror attack.

As part of efforts to enlist support from China, which is seen as an all weather ally of Pakistan, on Pakistan-based terrorists, including Azhar, Swaraj told her counterpart that "no military installations were targeted" during the air strike, and the target was selected to avoid civilian casualties.


She met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in her first engagement of the day.