Pakistan to pay "unaffordable" price for Kashmir firing: Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Accusing Pakistan of carrying out 'unprovoked attacks', Defence minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said, "If Pakistan persists with this adventurism, our forces will make the cost of this adventurism unaffordable."

Jaitley said. "Our forces have been doing a commendable job in the face of these unprovoked acts of aggression by Pakistan. Pakistan in these attacks has clearly been the aggressor but it must realise that our deterrence will be credible," Jaitley hit out.

Accusing Pakistan, Jaitley said, "There have been a series of ceasefire violations all unprovoked by Pakistan. These have mostly been on the international border and some have been at the line of control also. The international border has never been an issue at all and most of these violations are occurring at the IB. India is a responsible state. It is never an aggressor but at the same time, it has a paramount duty to defend its people and its territory."

"Our armed forces, particularly the army and the BSF in this case have only one option that is to respond adequately, defend our territory and our people," he added.

India and Pakistan traded heavy mortar and gun fire along the international border with Pakistani troops targeting 60 outposts and 90 villagers overnight in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, leaving eight persons, including three BSF jawans, injured.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the defence forces were giving a "befitting" reply to the Pakistani onslaught and the country will not bow down before anyone.

"I want to assure the people that we will not let down our country," he said, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that "everything will be fine soon" on Pakistan border.

(With inputs from PTI)