Its army says terror launch pads targeted; Pakistan calls it naked aggression, says its two soldiers died in small arms fire
“Significant casualties have been caused to terrorists and those trying to shield them in these strikes,” Lt Gen Singh said. “The operation has now ended.”
He did not give details of operations or casualties inflicted on terrorists.
But Indian media, quoting unidentified defence sources, said six to seven terror launch pads — located 1km to 3km deep inside Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir — were targeted after a week of surveillance.
The operation began around midnight on Wednesday and ended around 4:30am (Indian time) yesterday, the sources said.
There were reportedly no Indian casualties.
Security expert Praveen Swami, writing in The Indian Express, said the army may have used artillery or anti-tank missiles to target the specific terror infrastructure without risking sending its troops across the de facto border with Pakistan.
Indian sources said special forces of the Indian army from Udhampur-based Northern Command carried out the surgical strikes. The commandos were airdropped at the Line of Control (LoC) from where they crossed over to the Pakistani side.
The surgical strikes by the Indian army are the first major military action taken by India after terrorists from Pakistan crossed into an army camp in Uri on September 18 and killed 18 Indian troops. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged that the attack will not go unpunished.
Lt Gen Singh, who was accompanied by Indian external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup at the press conference, said the surgical strikes across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir were carried out to prevent Pakistani terrorists who had “positioned themselves at launch pads with the aim to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir state and other major cities of India.”
“During these counter terrorist operations significant casualties were caused to terrorists and those providing support to them. The operations aimed at neutralising terrorists have since ceased,” Singh said.
Although Pakistan denied that the Indian troops carried out surgical strikes, Singh said Pakistan was informed in keeping with protocol of the cross-border strike.
“I have been in touch with Pakistan Army DGMO and have informed him of our actions. It is India’s intention to maintain peace and tranquillity in the region. But we cannot allow the terrorists to operate across the Line of Control with impunity and attack citizens of our country at will.”
He further said Indian security forces have recovered items, including global positioning system, which have Pakistani markings.
Earlier yesterday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the situation along the line of control.
Modi conveyed the news about surgical strikes by Indian army to President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Md Hamid Ansari and former premier Manmohan Singh.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh informed about the incidents to senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, chief ministers of a number of states including Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
Meanwhile, villages in northern state of Punjab near the International Border (IB) with Pakistan have been asked to pull back and schools within 10km radius were ordered to be shut until further orders.
Amritsar DC Varun Roojam conducted a meeting to discuss further plan of action following orders of the evacuation within a 10km radius from the IB.
Border Security Force (BSF) has been put on further alert. Along with deployment of more forces along the border, BSF has restricted the movement for the evening retreat ceremony in at Waga in Amritsar in Punjab.
Punjab is not the only Indian state which shares land border with Pakistan. Rajasthan state of India also shares land border with Pakistan and Gujarat state has marshy land and sea border with that country.
Top Indian defence experts termed the “surgical strikes” on terror launch pads as an “operational necessity” and said those were necessitated as the “levels of tolerance” were crossed.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday afternoon briefed leaders of major political parties on the army’s surgical strikes targeting terror launch pads across the Line of Control and the situation thereafter.
Separately, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met opposition Congress party head Sonia Gandhi to brief her on the surgical strikes.
‘NAKED AGGRESSION’
The Pakistani military, however, played down the scale of the strikes, reports AFP.
“There has been no surgical strike by India, instead there had been cross border fire initiated and conducted by India,” it said in a statement.
“As per rules of engagement same was strongly and befittingly responded by Pakistani troops.”
In a statement from his office, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif “strongly condemned the unprovoked and naked aggression of Indian forces”.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said two Pakistani soldiers killed and nine wounded by what he characterised as “small weapon fire”.
Tensions between the two arch rivals have been boiling since the Indian government accused Pakistan-based militants of launching an assault on an army base in Kashmir earlier this month that killed 18 soldiers.
Ashok K Mehta, a retired major general in the Indian army, said it was the first time in a decade that officials in New Delhi had acknowledged its troops had crossed into the Pakistani side of the LoC.
Source: The Daily Star
