The Indian Army has accused the Pakistan Army of providing “full fire” support to the Border Action Team (BAT) which attacked the India patrol party on Monday and killed and mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers in Poonch. Condemning the brutal killing of the soldiers, Indian Director-General Military Operations (DGMO) informed his Pakistani counterpart that Pakistan Army’s action merits “unequivocal condemnation and response.”
As tension peaked and India promised a “fitting” response, Pakistani DGMO Major-General Shahir Shamshad asked Indian DGMO lieutenant-General AK Bhatt to provide “actionable” evidence of the cross-border raid and warned of appropriate response if India continued to target Pakistan Army posts along the line of Control (loC).
The two DGMOs talked to each other on the hotline on Tuesday afternoon following a request by India. The two high-ranking officials generally hold parleys on every Wednesday as part of confidence building measures.
Giving details of the talks, officials said lieutenant-General Bhatt expressed grave concern over Monday’s incident in Krishna Ghati sector opposite Battal in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK).
The Pakistani DGMO was also told that the Pakistan Army provided full backing to the BAT comprising terrorists and men of the Special Services Group (SSG) in attacking the Indian patrol party. The Indian DGMO also expressed concerns regarding the presence of BAT training camps and teams of the Pakistan Army in close vicinity of the loC in POK.
The BAT infiltrated at least 250 metres inside the loC on Monday and decapitated the soldiers. The Indian DGMO also conveyed that such an “inhuman” act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response.
Rejecting India’s concerns over mutilation, Pakistan Army termed these allegations as “baseless and unfounded.” The Pakistan Army in a statement issued from Rawalpindi also claimed no ceasefire violations took place in the Krishna Ghati sector and there was no crossing of the loC by its troops.
Pakistan military officials said their DGMO highlighted that the Pakistan Army is professional and upholds the highest standards of conduct. “Allegations of mutilation are an attempt by India to divert the attention of the world from the situation within the Valley (Kashmir),” he said. Pakistan also cautioned that any “misadventure” shall be appropriately responded to at a place and time of its own choosing.
Determined to avenge the death of the two soldiers, the Indian Army targeted Pakistan Army posts in Rawalakote in POK located across the loC in Krishna Ghati sector with small and medium arms fire, officials said here on Tuesday.
Any major action in the future will be well-planned and the Indian Army will give a suitable response to this provocation by Pakistan, they said adding the firing in Krishna Ghati sector will continue for some days. They, however, admitted that Pakistan is at an advantageous position there due to the terrain as its Army is dominating all the high points in the semi-mountainous and forested terrain.