The Indian Army carried out a major counter-offensive across the line of Control (loC) on May 9 targeting Pakistan Army posts that aided infiltrators in Naushera sector in Jammu region. The “punitive fire assault” is seen as India’s retaliatory response to mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) on May 1 in Poonch sector.
Several Pakistani posts, which provide fire cover to terrorists during infiltration bids, were destroyed. The Army plans to continue with this strategy of “taking out” specific posts helping terrorists to sneak into the border State and this action will take place in Jammu & Kashmir divisions, the Army said here on Tuesday.
The “fire assault” in Naushera saw the Army using intense firing by Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM), Automatic Grenade launchers (AGl), Recoilless Anti-Tank Guns and Rocket launchers in direct firing mode to destroy the Pakistan Army posts. However, the extent of damage in terms of casualties on the other side is not known. A 24-second video clip was also released by the Army here on Tuesday showing concrete structures being reduced to rubble amid plumes of smoke and balls of fire.
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said the Government supports the actions of the Army across the loC. Such actions are needed to ensure peace in J&K, he said, adding, the Army is taking pre-emptive and measured actions to counter terrorism in Kashmir and disengage Pakistani posts across the loC supporting infiltration by terrorists.
The Pakistan Army, however, denied the Indian Army’s action and dismissed as “false” the assertion that it decimated Pakistan Army posts in the Naushera sector. “Indian claims of destroying Pakistani posts along loC in Naushera sector and firing by Pakistan Army on civilians across loC are false,” Pakistan Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Major-General Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, giving details of the action, Additional Director-General Public Information, Major-General Ashok Narula said the assault “has caused some damage to Pakistan Army posts, which are supporting infiltrations. This is part of our overall strategy to counter terrorism.”
Elaborating upon the strategy, he said as part of counter-terrorism operations, “punitive fire assaults” across the loC are being undertaken by the Army. “Pakistan Army is providing support to armed infiltrators by engaging Indian forward troops from their weapon emplacements and pill-boxes closer to the loC,” he said.
“At times they have not even hesitated to target villages in the proximity of the loC. As part of our counter-terrorism strategy and to ensure that infiltration is curbed and the initiative remains with us, the Indian Army proactively dominates the loC. While doing so, locations aiding infiltration of terrorists are being targeted and destroyed to deny advantage to terrorists thus curbing infiltration attempts,” he said.
Justifying the pro-active approach, Narula said the Indian Army wants peace and tranquility in J&K, and for this it’s essential that the infiltrations along the loC are controlled.
At present nearly 250 terrorists are active in the sensitive Kashmir Valley and this number includes at least 110 to 115 local young men who have joined the terrorist ranks in the last few months.
Moreover, 300-odd terrorists armed and well-trained by the Pakistan Army and ISI are poised to sneak into J&K from at least 20-25 launch pads located close to the loC in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK).
The Army had conducted surgical strikes in POK in September last year and destroyed several launch pads and Pakistan Army posts besides killing at least 35 terrorists.