NEW DELHI, India, March 21, Reuter: An Indian government spokesman dismissed on Monday a news report from Washington that India has built about 20 highly sophisticated nuclear bombs.

“It does not even merit a comment”, an External Affairs ministry spokesman told reporters querying the report from Washington by a news agency (not Reuters) that the low yield bombs could be delivered by combat aircraft.

He repeated the comment by India’s Ambassador to the United States P.K. Kaul who had told reporters “it is a figment of imagination”.

The news reported quoted US. Intelligence sources, former national security officials and Congressional staffers as saying the bombs could be carried by MIG27, Mirage or Jaguar aircraft.

India exploded its first nuclear device in 1974 but it has always denied it has actually has assembled nuclear weapons.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 25, 1988