New Delhi/Islamabad, May 24: The Indian Army on Tuesday said it launched "punitive fire assaults" on Pakistani positions along the Line of Control (LoC) as part of its pre-emptive and pro-active strategy to curb cross-border militant incursion.
It also released a video of the military action which showed some structures in a forested area crumbling in a heap under the impact of repeated shelling.
The 22-second video showed concrete structures being reduced to rubble amid plumes of smoke and balls of fire. However, the area of the operation was not clearly identifiable in the clipping.
How Pakistani posts were destroyed:
Though the Indian Army did not give much operational details of the retributive assault across the LoC in Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir which were "aiding" infiltration, sources in the force said the strike was carried out on May 9, nine days after two Indian security personnel were beheaded.
The Army sources said rocket launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and automatic grenade launchers and recoilless guns were used in the strike.
"A recent action by our troops in the Naushera Sector has caused some damage to the Pak Army posts, which are supporting infiltrations," Additional Director General of Public Information Major General AK Narula told reporters.
"As part of our counter-terrorism strategy and to ensure that infiltration is curbed and initiative remains with us, the Indian Army proactively dominates Line of Control. While doing so, locations aiding infiltration of terrorists are being targeted and destroyed to deny advantage to terrorists thus curbing infiltration attempts," he added. There was no official word on the casualty on the Pakistani side.
"Pakistani Army has been providing support to armed infiltrators by engaging our forward troops from their weapon emplacements and pill-boxes closer to the Line of Control. At times they have not even hesitated to target villages in the proximity of Line of Control," General Narula said.
He further said that infiltrations are likely to increase with melting of snow and opening of passes, and referred to the recent incident in Naugam where four terrorists were neutralised on May 20-21.
"This calls for even more proactive counter-terrorism operations. We want peace and tranquillity in the state of J&K. For this purpose, it is essential that the infiltrations along LoC are controlled which is essential to bring down the numbers of terrorists in J&K so that youths of J&K are not adversely influenced by terrorists," he said.
Govt supports Army's 'preemptive' actions across LoC:
Meanwhile, the government supported the Army's action, with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley saying it was to ensure peace in Kashmir.
"Government supports the actions of Indian Army across LoC. Such actions are needed to ensure peace in J&K," Jaitley tweeted.
Government supports the actions of #IndianArmy across LoC. Such actions are needed to ensure peace in J&K.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 23, 2017
"Indian Army is taking preemptive and measured actions to counter terrorism in valley and disengage Pakistani posts across LoC supporting infiltration," he said.
Pakistan denies:
However, Pakistani Army Spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said the "Indian claims of destroying Pakistani post in Naushera and firing by the Pakistan Army on civilians across LoC are false".
PR277/17
No Pakistani post destroyed by India on 13 May. Indians tgt civ on both sides of LOC. Pak response restricted to mil tgts only. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/9971o9dQ9G— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) May 23, 2017
The assault comes eight months after India had said that its Army had conducted surgical strikes to destroy terror-launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan that resulted in the killing of dozens of militants and their sympathisers in September.
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