No Pakistani soldiers, civilians were injured during Balakot air strike: Sushma Swaraj

No Pakistani soldiers or civilians were injured during the air strike carried out on terror launch pads in Pakistan's Balakot in February, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday.

Addressing a gathering of BJP Mahila Morcha members here, she said: "We told the international community that the Indian military was instructed not to attack any civilians and soldiers and they supported us."

She further said that the air strike was carried out in "self-defence" two weeks after the Pulwama terror attack, in which as many as 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.

"Armed forces were directed to target only the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps and return," Swaraj mentioned.

The External Affairs Minister came down heavily on Congress for not taking any "strong action" against Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

"Even after the attack in which as many as 40 persons belonging to 14 countries died, previous Congress-led government did not isolate the neighbouring country," she added.

Swaraj reiterated that the BJP-led government's foreign policy was the reason behind the isolation of Pakistan at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Abu Dhabi. "Islamabad had on March 1 protested against the invitation extended to India for a meet of the OIC in Abu Dhabi, but the host country, the United Arab Emirates, rebuffed them," she added.