Indian Army ~ #Surgical strikes - Army strikes with precision over the border.

29^th Sept 2016 makes us proud ..  India has carried out surgical strikes targeting “launch pads” for terrorists across the Line of Control (LoC), the Army said today.   In  its first direct military response to the massacre of soldiers at the Uri base in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army  conducted #surgical strikes last night on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to eliminate terrorists who were prepared to infiltrate into the Indian side of the border.  The Army commandos crawled through mud, rocks and even landmines for about 3 kilometres with the threat of being caught in the Pakistan army's crosshairs. Their destinations included five launch pads where large number of terrorists had gathered.  The launch pads were those of the terrorists waiting to infiltrate into the Indian side of the LoC to carry out terror attacks in the country. The terror launch pads were located in Bhimbar, Kel, Tattapani and Leepa areas.

Very likely you would have watched the news on TV, read it on more authentic sources ~ this for sure is repetition; yet, it is worth knowing and reading again and again.  Surgical strikes by the Indian army and the planned action of  Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji.

The strike was carried out on Wednesday night, senior military and diplomatic sources said at a hurriedly called media briefing at the Ministry of External Affairs.  The surgical strikes on terror launching pads inside Pakistan on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, by the army commandos 10 days after Uri left up to 38 terrorists and Pakistani soldiers dead. Sources said para commandos went 2-3 km into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in Mi-17 choppers and destroyed six terror camps, inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists and few Pakistani Army troops. The Indian troops suffered no casualties in the operations.

“Based on very specific and credible information which we received yesterday that some terrorist teams had positioned itself along the line of control, the Army carried out surgical strikes last night at these launch pads. The operations were focused to ensure that these terrorists do not succeed in endangering lives of citizens in our country. During the counter-terrorist operations, significant casualties have been caused to the terrorists and those who were trying to support them. The operations have since ceased,” Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh said. He sought the support of the Pakistan Army in erasing the menace of terrorism. Pakistan has responded to the government statement saying there has been "no such strike."

“We do not have any plans to continue. However the Indian armed forces are fully prepared to deal with any contingency which may arise. I have spoken to Pakistani DGMO and expressed our concern. It is India’s intention to maintain peace and tranquillity in the region but we cannot certainly allow terrorists to operate across the Line of Control with impunity and attack our citizens,” said the DGMO.

When the Indian Army had promised that Uri will be avenged "at a time and place of our choosing", many  intellectuals dismissed it as empty bluster. Some even offered that it was the Army version of "law will take its own course." The Wednesday night of 28 September, 2016, would have taught the doubters to shelve their skepticism of the Indian Army.  According to some TV channels, including Times Now, the special forces of the Indian army were para-trooped across the LoC and the operation was carried out within 500 metres to three kilometres into Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The operation reportedly lasted for around five to six hours.

It is revealed that the  operation used combination of heliborne & ground forces; it  started after midnight and ended around 4:30am on Thursday.  No casualties to Indian troops, heavy casualties were sustained by Pakistan-based terrorists.

Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif condemns “attack”, says “our desire for peace should not be interpreted as our weakness”. Pakistan army contradicts Sharif and Indian army, says no surgical strikes by India, instead only cross-border fire initiated. The operation was aimed at preventing attacks being planned by Pakistan-based militants, a senior army official said.

After paying back Pakistan in the same coin, the Indian Army's morale is high; it has also stepped up vigil along the LoC and the border in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Punjab. All the three armed forces and paramilitary forces have been put on the highest alert. The leaves of Army and BSF personnel have been cancelled.  Some armchair critics may say  jingoism and war-mongering are the twin obsessions of a growing and increasingly prosperous middle class in India, and the reaction to the latest attack is quite predictable. #ModiPunishesPak was trending top of Twitter in India, hours after the media first reported "the strikes". The other top trending hashtags included #SurgicalStrike and #Indian Army.

Interestingly, as a report in The Times of India points out, India's national security adviser Ajit Doval, who reportedly monitored the entire operation flanked by the Army chief and defence minister Manohar Parrikar, got a call on Wednesday morning from his American counterpart Susan Rice. According to the report, Rice completely toed Indian line on Uri and "offered condolences to families of the Uri attack victims and expressed support for India on the issue of terrorism." This surgical strike is merely the culmination of a concerted diplomatic and military initiative.  Shri Narendra Modi’s government deserves plaudits for handling it carefully. 

In Today’s News Hour, Arnab Goswami happily thanked all the participants for unified view – said it is all about you and me; not something happening somewhere else.  What was raided is terror camps, who were planning to launch at soft targets in India.  If we sleep well today, it is all owed to Indian army; if there had not been such surgical strikes, some Indian city would have been in trouble and for saving all of us, army commandos risked themselves.  Long live and we all owe everything to them.  If you feel, this is jingoism, I am proud – proud to be speaking high of our armed forces ~ and there is no place for anybody here who criticises our forces which protect the Nation ensuring our peace and freedom !! ~ and we all feel, ONE with him. 

Jai Hind

~ S. Sampathkumar

29^th Sept. 2016

#ModiPunishesPak   #SurgicalStrike  #Indian Army.  #Indian valour.