Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Indian soldiers along the India-Pakistan border had been neutralising at least five-six terrorists every day and that he has asked them to give a fitting reply if Pakistan opened fire.

Singh said yesterday that he had ordered Indian soldiers not to fire at their Pakistani counterparts first, but give them a fitting reply by “firing countless bullets” if Pakistan opened fire.

On the Dokalam issue, he said that India was not a weak country anymore, but a strong one, and was in a position to resolve the contentious matter with its neighbour China.

“India is no more a weak nation, but a strong country. You ought to know how India resolved the Dokalam issue with China, especially when most people across the globe were anticipating an India–China conflict,” the home minister said.

“If India was a weak country, it could not have been in a position to resolve the Dokalam issue with China,” he added.

Indian and Chinese soldiers had engaged in standoff in Dokalam in Sikkim sector for more than two months earlier this year after PLA troops tried to build a road in the area claimed by Indian ally Bhutan.

The stand-off was lated resolved through diplomatic negotiations.

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