Any future act of terror will be considered an act of war, warns New Delhi

India has decided that any future act of terror will be considered an act of war against the country and will be responded to accordingly, top government officials said. The remarks come amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

With this decision, the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to draw red lines against terror incidents and makes clear its intention to firmly respond to the perpetrators and conspirators, in what is seen as a message to Pakistan -- a country linked to various terrorist groups involved in targeting Indians.

Earlier in the day, amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces at his residence in New Delhi.

The meeting took place following India's strikes at four airbases in Pakistan in the early hours of Saturday in reply to Pakistan's attack on 26 Indian locations.

India-Pakistan rising tensions

Tensions between the two neighboring countries escalated sharply after the Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on Wednesday, targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes were in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which had cross-border links.

In response, Pakistan launched a renewed wave of drone attacks on Friday night, hitting 26 locations across India — from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat. According to the Ministry of Defence, Indian forces successfully foiled attempts to damage critical infrastructure, including airports and air bases.

On Thursday evening, Indian air defense systems intercepted at least eight missiles fired by Pakistan toward border areas in Jammu, including the strategically vital Jammu airport, according to defense sources.

Pakistan on Saturday said it will consider de-escalation if India stops further attacks, as the militaries of the two countries targeted each other's installations, further escalating tensions.

"Pakistan will consider de-escalation if India stops further attacks. However, if India launches any further strikes, our response will follow," Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Geo News after he spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.