By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 3rd May 17
Top generals say the army has begun
weighing its options for retaliating against Pakistani forces on the Line of
Control (LoC), after Pakistani troops, employing jihadi extremists, killed and beheaded two Indian soldiers near
Poonch on Monday.
Business Standard learns the incident took
place when an Indian patrol of 8-10 soldiers was checking the border fence, a
perilous task that involves physically moving along the fence, very close to
the LoC, to check that it has not been cut or its electronic sensors damaged.
As per the modus operandi of Pakistani troops on forward LoC posts, the exposed
patrol first came under intense fire from automatic weapons, which Pakistani soldiers
had stealthily deployed in temporary positions, just across the LoC.
With two Indian jawans injured in the firing, a “border action team” (BAT),
consisting of jihadi fighters, darted
across the LoC to the border fence. Covered by Pakistan Army firing, the jihadis killed the two jawans, beheaded
them, and returned to their side of the LoC, bearing the heads as trophies.
The employment of BATs is a well-rehearsed
Pakistani tactic that creates deniability by using jihadis to cross into the Indian side. If any jihadis are killed or captured, the Pakistan Army disowns it as an
infiltration attempt. Regular soldiers remain on their side of the LoC, firing
on Indian posts and patrols to cover the BAT’s move.
A range of retaliatory measures are being
weighed by India’s generals, including attacks by ground forces on Pakistani
posts, or strikes by aircraft, missiles or massed artillery guns.
In Delhi on Tuesday, the army vice chief,
Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, told the media: “Hamko kya karna hai voh ham yahaan bataana nahin chahte hain. Apni
karyavahi ham apne aap karenge, at a time and place of our choosing” (I
don’t want to give out here what we intend to do. We will take action at a time
and place of our choosing).
On Monday, the army’s director general of
military operations (DGMO) warned of retaliation in a phone call to his Pakistani
counterpart. A defence ministry release stated: “DGMO Indian Army conveyed that
such a dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits
unequivocal condemnation and response”.
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley also sounded
a warning on Monday, stating: “The whole country has full confidence and faith
in our armed forces, which will react appropriately to this inhuman act. The
sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain.”
However, army sources emphatically rejected
Indian media claims --- by India Today TV and Dainik Jagran newspaper --- that the Indian Army had already
visited retribution; killing ten Pakistani soldiers in an attack.
Last September, the Indian Army had
retaliated to a jihadi strike on an
army post near Uri with multiple cross-LoC “surgical strikes” that are believed
to have killed several jihadi
fighters and a handful of Pakistani soldiers.
After another attack in November, the
Indian Army secretly moved 155 millimetre Bofors guns into forward firing
positions, destroying two Pakistani posts in a massed “fire assault”.
Even so, senior generals admit there are
limitations on how much, and how often, Pakistani posts on the LoC can be
punished, even in retaliating to an inhuman violation that involved mutilating
Indian soldiers. Inadequate punishment fails to deter Pakistani violations,
while an excess of punishment could set off a cycle of escalation that could
spiral out of control.
Nor has the Indian military a tri-service
plan for immediate retaliation to such incidents. This would involve
pre-selecting Pakistan Army or jihadi
targets, earmarking the aircraft, missiles, guns or Special Forces to hit them,
and devising defensive measures for the inevitable Pakistani retaliation.
In what might be an unlinked development,
the army on Tuesday test-fired a Brahmos land-to-land missile, demonstrating
what an official release described as “the weapon’s unmatched lethality of
hitting the centre of a designated target with ‘bulls eye’ precision.” The
Brahmos would be an important component of any concerted Indian cross-LoC
strike capability.
Sneak up a battery of Pinaka and do the needful.
ReplyDeleteThe crux lies in this part 'Top generals say the army has begun weighing its options for retaliating against Pakistani forces on the Line of Control (LoC)'. If we start 'weighing our options' NOW, we're no good. Now, any action by India will become just another of the series of actions, by both sides, on LC. The time to call it as 'revenge' action is already over some 48 hours back. We'll do it at a time of our choosing is sheer nonsense. Place of choosing is fine.
ReplyDeleteCorrect.
DeleteOne day you write world is watching.
ReplyDeleteNext day you write on retaliation.
I think the NATO (and Russians before ) know the duplicity of Pakistan.
Now China is using thus country to keep India bogged down (like N korea).
It is incredible how a country cannot design a bicycle makes own nukes.
We retaliate hard and continuosly . We should make it daily habit to pound a few posts , destroy them. Then pound them extra whenever dignitaries are visiting india or their generals/politicians are on a visit to PoK.
Just don't give a damn. This once in a while attack won't help.
.
WIth part time Defense minister nothing better can be expected. Their commitment can be seen from the fact that more that one year have passed Indian Army has not got their revised pay which all babus and mantries have got.
ReplyDeleteNo strategy No seriousness what so ever.
Look at the difference, when IA raids and kill PA in a SUR-JI-KAL strike. Its all great. When they send over their BATS, its ohh what happened? why did they do this? what happened to all that brave talk of jaw for a tooth? Indians like talking brave. Pakistanis actually are brave. Just look at the reputation of the two people all over the world. Pakistanis are aggressive and like fighting. Indians on the otherhand generally keep quite and take the hits when they come their way. You see a version of this on LoC.
ReplyDeleteAs long as IA keeps killing Kashmiris, Pakistanis will always have a reason to take revenge for the Kashmiris. Think about it, when you are constantly being bullied, someone takes the bully down, how would that make you feel, seeing the bully hurting. Solve J&K and Pakistan will no longer have the reason to hold india's nose to the ground. What is also on their side is that the younger generation of Kashmiris are more like them.
Many years ago I met a retired PA officer, he said if they could only get the Kashmiris to be more like the Pakistanis in temperament, after that they would no longer worry about IoK kashmir, because sooner or later they will leave india embrace.
Maybe we can get our "gau bhakts" to be like their Jehadi's and use them on the LoC ratherthan killing innocent indians.
Balwinder
It is always easier to deal with real names rather than aliases, "Balwinder"! You are purportedly Indian but the tone and tenor of your message suggests otherwise!
DeleteAlok Asthana is right. Options are derivatives of capabilities. Capabilities are build over a period of time. We never find ourselves prepared with multiple options in hand. We neither think and plan to generally keep Paki's head down; meaning we on the offensive and maintaining deterrence and moral ascendency. We could have achieved it in 70 years but for the civil-mil discord and constant fall of Armed Forces in national canvas.
ReplyDeleteThe Pakistan Army should shed any pretensions of being a modern and professional force. It is a common knowledge that the Pakistani Army derives inspiration from medieval tyrants like Timur, Babur, Mahmud of Ghazni et al.They and their jihadi cohorts derive perverse pleasure in beheading dead Indian soldiers and carrying the severed heads as 'trophies'. This is a hark back to the Dark Ages when Timurid armies would behead dead/captive soldiers and pile the heads as a macabre monument of their victories. So, one does not have the answers really to tackle this regressive mentality of the Pakistani Army. No amount of fire assaults, surgical strikes can change this. What the need of the hour is to instil the fear of God in the Pakistani military jihadi establishment!
ReplyDeleteI remember that Ajai you mentioned of a change in Pakistan's attitude on appointment of a new General. Saw now? You have egg on your face and blood on your hands. People read your opinions and are influenced. You make them believe that Pakistan sudhar raha hai. Pakistan cannot be shown any mercy. You show mercy to a duplicitous people, you get killed. Shame on you Ajai.
ReplyDeleteRIP our brave soldiers.