Pakistan to create new missile force after four-day conflict with India

Independent

4 days ago

Pakistan is creating a dedicated missile force in the aftermath of a brief military conflict with India earlier this year.
Shehbaz Sharif announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force on the eve of the Independence Day on Wednesday.
"It will be equipped with modern technology," the prime minister said of the new force, which he added would prove to be a milestone in strengthening the combat capabilities of the army.
India and Pakistan stepped back from the brink of war in May after a four-day military conflict left dozens of people dead in artillery shelling as well as drone and missile attacks.
A Pakistani security official said the force, dedicated to deploying missiles in the event of a conventional war, was proposed to have its own command in the military.
Mr Sharif claimed the conflict with India concluded with a decisive victory for Pakistan as he praised the military leaders for their swift response, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. 'India forgot that wars are not won with weapons alone but with the spirit of the nation,' he said.
The Pakistani military claimed to have shot down six Indian fighter jets, including the French-made Rafale, during the initial clashes.
India also claimed to have downed the rival country's jets in a dogfight that reportedly involved over 125 aircraft, making it the largest aerial battle since the Second World War.
US president Donald Trump, who has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire that ended the conflict after four days, said last month up to five fighter jets had been shot down, without clarifying which country's.
India confirmed on 31 May that it had lost jets during the conflict, but refused to clarify their number or nature.
While Islamabad acknowledges the US role in the ceasefire, India claims it was agreed between the two militaries.
The conflict began when India launched airstrikes on Pakistan, claiming it was punishing the neighbouring country for orchestrating an attack in the restive Himalayan region of Kashmir that left 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, dead in April.
Pakistan denied involvement.
In his address on Wednesday, the Pakistani prime minister said his country's nuclear arsenal was "not for aggression" but 'only for defence purposes".
This appeared to be a pivot from the aggressive statement made by Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, about the country's nuclear capabilities. The military leader reportedly told members of the Pakistani diaspora in Florida that Pakistan was "a nuclear nation' and 'if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us".
He also warned that if India built a dam on the Indus River, Pakistan would destroy it 'with ten missiles". "We have no shortage of missiles," he added, according to The Print.
India on Monday criticised the remarks as 'nuclear sabre-rattling', noting it was 'regrettable' that they were made in the US, a key partner for New Delhi.