New Delhi, May 4 - Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier on Saturday, Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi also met Prime Minister Modi. The Navy Chief had briefed the Prime Minister about the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
These meetings are important because the last major terror attack in Pulwama in February 2019 was responded to by the Indian Air Force, in which jets bombed Balakot in Pakistan. Since then, the strength of the Indian Air Force in terms of long-range missiles and air defense has increased manifold. After the Balakot attack, the Rafale jets include such missiles, which can hit their targets with complete accuracy. The Russian-made S-400 air defense system can track and target multiple threats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting with the Indian Air Force chief and the Navy chief yesterday, will discuss various options that India can use to respond to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Earlier this week, US Vice President J.D. Vance had said in an interview with media house ‘Fox News’, “We hope that India will respond to this terror attack in a manner that does not lead to a wider regional conflict in the region.” He also advised Pakistan that “Frankly, we also expect Pakistan, as part of its responsibility, to cooperate with India to ensure that the terrorists, who sometimes operate from its territory, are eliminated.”