New Delhi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that the men on board the Pakistani boat which blew itself up off Gujarat coast on New Year’s eve were suspected to be terrorists. Parrikar said that the evidence till now suggest that the boat was not smugglers vessel but had suspected terror link. Rejecting the smuggling angle to the incident, he said that the route taken by the boat was not the route taken by smugglers. The defence minister said that the boat was under surveillance for 12 hours and the act that it was stationed at one position does not indicate smuggling. Secondly, he also stated that smugglers won’t stay in touch with Pakistani maritime authorities and would not commit suicide. He also commended the Coast Guard, saying they could not have done any better.
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