Attack on Mumbai was a test on India's patience: army chief

The terror attacks on Mumbai was a test of India's patience and the army is ready to face any challenge posed by terrorism, army chief General Deepak Kapoor said on Thursday.

"The attack on Mumbai was a test of our patience...the only and biggest challenge before us is terrorism and we are ready to face this challenge," Kapoor said at the 61st Army Day parade here.

Stating that all options to tackle the terror menace were open, he said India wanted to resolve its issues through peaceful means.

"However, to ensure the security of its people and territory, we can use all possible available options," Kapoor said.

He said the army was always ready and capable of carrying out whatever task it is assigned by the government.

Mentioning the global economic meltdown as the second biggest challenge faced by the world, he said the government didn't want the financial proposals of armed forces to be impacted by recession and asked his officers to ensure full value for money spent on the armed forces.

"We want our officers to ensure that the money in armed forces is wisely in view of the economic meltdown," Kapoor said.

He said all neighbours of India were facing challenges, which could pose threat to the security of the country. "We have to remain vigilant against these threats if we have to progress and prosper," the army chief said.