In the February 26 attack by the Indian Air Force on the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp at Balakot in Pakistan, no Pakistani soldier or civilian died, Ministry of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said on Friday.

Addressing women BJP workers in Ahmedabad, she said that the Indian military was given a free hand in the operation but was clearly told that no Pakistani civilian should be killed and also there be not even a scratch on the Pakistani Army.

The Ministry Of External Affairs said in a statement, “When we carried out the air strike, we had told the international community that we took the step only in self- defence”.

Right after Swaraj’s statement, Pakistan Army spokesperson Asif Ghafoor tweeted, “Finally the truth under ground reality compulsions. Hopefully, so will be about other false Indian claims i.e. surgical strike 2016, denial of shooting down of 2 IAF jets by PAF and claim about F16. Better late than never (sic)."

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swaraj said that he has appeared as one of the top international leader who set the agenda to develop and make the world better.

Attacking the Opposition, Swaraj said that after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the Congress-led UPA government had failed to take along other countries to isolate Pakistan despite the fact that 40 persons belonging to 14 countries were also killed in the strike.

Swaraj added that Pakistan had objected to the invitation extended to India for a meet of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Abu Dhabi last month, but the host county United Arab Emirates snubbed Islamabad.