Unspecified number of terrorists killed in stealth attacks.
In a carefully planned stealth attack across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (Pok), elite Indian Army troops took out several terrorist camps and killed an unspecified number of terrorists and Pakistani army personnel, in retaliation for the attack in Uri in India earlier this month which claimed the lives of 18 Indian soldiers.
The Indian Army confirmed conducting the ‘surgical strikes’ on terrorist camps which were poised to send terrorists in India to conduct attacks of their own.
According to the announcement made by Lt General Ranbir Singh, the Director General of Military Operations, the attack on terrorists was launched on Wednesdayafter the security force received specific inputs regarding the positioning of terrorists in the PoK region.
The strikes by the Indian army have escalated the probabilities of the two nuclear-armed countries breaking the cease-fire agreement signed after the 2003 Kargil war.
Singh said on Wednesday that based on “very specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves … with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes”.
Reports said the Indian military operation on terror launch pads lasted from 12.30 am to 4.30 am and the location was 500 meters-2 Km. across, citing unnamed sources. The strikes were carried out in Bhimber, Hotspring, Kel and Lipa sectors, on Pakistan’s side of LoC, according to Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations. The Indian army personnel were paradropped into enemy territory, and the attack was also recorded through drones, saod reports.
Singh also said that he had contacted his Pakistani counterpart to inform about the same. But the Pakistani military spokesperson rubbished the claims of the Indian military saying that it’s “totally baseless and completely a lie”.
The Pakistani military spokesperson also said that the communication between DGMos from across the borders happens only when there is a cross-border firing, which was within existing rules of engagement.
In the meanwhile, the responses of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. General Asim Bajwa showed the confusion looming over the country regarding the attack.
While Sharif condemned the attack calling it “unprovoked and naked aggression” of Indian forces, Bajwa said there was no such attack on the ground.
Bajwa told news channel Geo TV, “We deny it. There is no such thing on the ground. There is just the incident of the firing last night, which we responded to. We have fired in accordance with the rules of engagement […] We are acting in a responsible way.”
He also said that two Pakistani soldiers have died and 9 others injured in the cross-border firing on Wednesday night.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had overseen the entire operation at Army headquarters in New Delhi.
India had tightened its stand against Pakistan after 18 soldiers were killed by terrorists who attacked a military camp in Uri, Kashmir. As a result of one of the worst terrorist attack on the army in 14 years, there was immense pressure on Modi to give Pakistan a befitting reply for incubating and exporting terror.
India also came out swinging diplomatically against Pakistan during the UN General Assembly held in New York to declare Pakistan as a terrorist state and try isolate it from the international community. India received support from many nations, including the United States, Britain, Russia and France, who condemned the attack and asked Pakistan to give complete support to India in finding the masterminds behind the Uri attack.
As a result of the escalating tension between two countries, Modi also called off India’s participation in this year’s SAARC Summit which was due to happen in November, in Islamabad. Following India’s withdrawal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also said that they would not attend the summit.
The tension between the arch-rivals has escalated to a new level where both the countries are not willing to back off from their position.
“The Indian Army is quite capable of giving it back properly and I shall – along with the whole country- look forward to a national Catharsis. Give it back OVERTLY- pak has done enough to deserve it and more. No covert bit which only the Chief knows about- that doesn’t soothe the anger of the country. And if Pak wants to escalate – so be it. We will take it as far as it wants to go,” defense analyst Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi wrote in a Facebook post.
Several media reports say that fearing retaliation from Pakistan, India has started evacuating civilians from border states on the LoC. The Hindustan Times reported that the Center has asked Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to relocate people living close to Pakistan frontier to safer locations.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947. Two of these wars, fought in 1965 and 1999, were over Kashmir.