'Can't disclose details': Home Minister Rajnath Singh claims India conducted three air strikes in past five years

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday claimed that the Centre conducted three air strikes across the border in the past five years, but said he could not disclose any information about the third one. Speaking at a rally in Mangaluru, Rajnath mentioned the 2016 surgical strikes and the latest Balakot airstrike in Pakistan, but divulged no details about the third:

#WATCH Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a public rally in Mangaluru: Pichle 5 varsho mein, teen baar apni seema ke bahar jaa kar hum logon ne air strike kar kaamyaabi haasil ki hai. Do ki jaankari apko dunga, teesri ki nahi dunga. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/NZKeJPulrS

— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2019

“In the last five years, we have crossed the border and conducted successful strikes three times. I will provide information on two, but not the third. Once in Uri, our soldiers were killed by terrorists coming from Pakistan, then our soldiers had responded. The next one was after Pulwama . The third one I will not disclose,” he said. “India is not weak anymore”. He also warned Pakistan that they would “have to a pay heavy price” for protecting and providing shelters to terrorists. “India will not provoke Pakistan, but we will not tolerate provocation on from their side,” he said. The home minister’s comments come in the wake of an air strike conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 26 February , on a madrasa belonging to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group. The outfit had claimed responsibility for a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, in which at least 42 CRPF personnel were killed .