Hours after promising a befitting reply to the Pakistan Army who helped terrorists mutilate the body of an Indian jawan after killing him on the line of Control (loC), the Indian Army on Saturday hit back strongly and decimated four Pakistani posts in Keran Sector.
“Four Pak posts destroyed in massive fire assault in Keran Sector (J&K), heavy casualties inflicted,” tweeted a senior Army officer late on Saturday night.
Taking the barbaric act of mutilation of a soldier’s body “seriously”, the Indian Army said earlier in the day that it is mulling an appropriate response “at the place and time of our choosing”. Incidentally, it is the first incident of this kind since the Modi Government took charge in 2014. A similar act had taken place in 2013 in Poonch when two soldiers were beheaded by a combined team of Pakistan Army commandos and terrorists, leading to outrage in the country.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the nation that security forces were giving a “befitting reply” to firing from across the border and that the country will not bow down before anyone.
“I want to assure the nation that the security forces are giving befitting reply to the firing from Pakistan. We will not bow down before anyone,” he told reporters here. Rajnath said if countrymen were celebrating Diwali, it was because of the security personnel guarding the borders. The Home Minister said people must have faith in security forces that are foiling the evil designs of enemies.
As regards the expected Army reaction to the mutilation of soldier Mandeep Singh in an encounter in Machhal sector of Kupwara near the line of Control (loC), officials said here that the units deployed on the loC will respond aggressively to this provocation. A terrorist was also killed in the encounter.
Terming the incident a “despicable act,” they said such cross-border raids provide the Pakistan Army a handle to deny its involvement and shift the blame to terrorists. However, the Kupwara encounter resulting in the death of the soldier and the mutilation was directly supported by the Pakistan Army, they said. Moreover, the Pakistan Army provided covering fire to the infiltrating terrorists in this incident, officials said.
Elaborating upon the modus operandi of Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan, they said such units comprise commandos of Special Service Group (SSG) and terrorists.
Expecting a surge in levels of violence in the coming weeks as the Pakistan Army is determined to seek revenge for the surgical strikes against terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 29, the Army is further strengthening its counter-infiltration and counter-insurgency grid.
Nearly 105 infiltration bids have taken place so far as compared to less than half this figure last year, said officials, adding the Pakistan Army is desperate to push militants before snow blocks ingress routes next month.