New Delhi: The Indian Army is carrying out ‘pinpoint strikes’ on suspected terror launchpads inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Indian Army is carrying out the strikes in response to Pakistani military’s efforts to push terrorists into India before the onset of harsh winters. This information was shared by sources in the security establishment here late Thursday evening.
In the last few weeks, the Pakistan army has been aggressively targeting civilians on Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC). They have resorted to indiscriminate firing by heavy calibre artillery guns to support infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said.
This year, 21 innocent civilians have lost their lives in Pakistani firing compared to 18 in the whole of 2019. The sources said intelligence-based targeted strikes are being conducted by the Indian Army to neutralise mostly Pakistani and foreign terrorists. They added that the collateral damage has been very negligible in these operations.
The new pattern being followed by Islamabad is ‘inciting’ unrest and arm the youths in Jammu and Kashmir. It is being done to avoid any trace of its involvement in view of the growing international pressure on it to take action against terror groups operating from its soil.
“Pakistan has sought to target the peaceful villagers living alongside the Indian side of the LoC in order to send a message to the inhabitants of Kashmiri hinterland that to disobey Pakistani diktats and directives on terrorism will prove lethal,” said a military source.
Triggering a major flare up, Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling Friday in several areas along the LoC in north Kashmir killing five security personnel apart from at least four civilians.
The Indian Army mounted a major retaliation pounding several Pakistani positions with anti-tank guided missiles and artillery guns in which at least eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and 12 others injured.
“Pakistan army’s actions to exclusively target civilians are countered by Indian Army’s pinpoint strikes on suspected launchpads inside Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir,” the source said. It added deaths of terrorists in the area are shown as civilian deaths by Pakistan in order to garner sympathy and aid from foreign donors.
Pakistani military has also been resorting to firing at Indian Army posts along the LoC with heavy calibre weapons, the sources said. This year eight infiltration bids were foiled and 14 terrorists have been neutralised along the LoC, according to official data.
The sources said Pakistan has been strongly guarding the location of terrorist training camps following India’s Balakot air strikes last year. Indian war planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp February 26 last year. The camp was situated deep inside Pakistan last year in response to Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed.
The Indian action reflected a doctrinal change in the country’s approach in tackling cross border terrorism. The sources said Pakistan’s efforts to incite violence inside Kashmir valley and disrupt the lives of common citizens have proved ‘futile’ as an increasing number of youths have surrendered to join the mainstream.
“Increasing number of misguided youth who were lured by the false narratives from Pakistan and joined terrorist tanzeems are surrendering to the security forces after concerted efforts were made to reach out to them through their parents, friends and relatives,” according to a security official. He said a revamped liberal policy of surrender and rehabilitation has encouraged militants to return to the national mainstream.