India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was speaking at a function commemorating the 80th foundation day of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). It was a convoy belonging to this paramilitary force that endured a terror attack in Kashmir in mid-February. The attack claimed the lives of 40 police personnel

New Delhi: In his first public comment after the 14 February Pulwama attack, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday stated in terse words that the country had not forgotten the suicide terror assault that had claimed Indian lives, adding that strong action would be taken against terrorists and against those who harbour them.

"The country has neither forgotten nor will ever forget it (Pulwama terror attack). Leadership will decide on time and locations to act, be it against terrorists or those who support/harbor them", Ajit Doval said while delivering an address at the 80th foundation day of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Gurugram near New Delhi.

Doval paid tribute to the 40 soldiers who were martyred when a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist rammed an explosive-laden car into a CRPF convoy.

Meanwhile, heavy cross-border fire exchanges continue to take place between Indian and Pakistani forces on the Line of Control (LoC) in the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The state shares its borders with Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"The Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in Rajouri's Sunderbani sector and Jammu's Akhnoor sector on Monday night", Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, Indian defence ministry spokesman, told the media.

Exchanges of fire in the Sunderbani sector started at 10:45 p.m. local time, but stopped soon, Anand added.

"In Akhnoor, the Pakistan Army resorted to mortar shelling and firing of small arms which continued till Tuesday morning. Our troops retaliated effectively", he stated.

One Indian Army soldier was killed and three others injured in cross-border Pakistani firing in the Sundarbani sector on Monday morning.

The backdrop of the current India-Pakistan cross-border hostilities is the 14 February Pulwama terror attack that was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and killed 40 Indian paramilitary troops. India after a week had conducted a preemptive air strike against alleged JeM terror camps at Balakot in Pakistan.