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Army carries out fire assault across LoC

Action after soldiers' mutilated bodies were found
Last Updated 23 May 2017, 20:36 IST

The army has undertaken a “punitive fire assault” earlier this month to destroy a Pakistani post across the Line of Control, which was aiding terror activities across India’s disputed border with Pakistan.

The fire assault — concentrated firing from multiple weapons on a single target — was done on May 9 in the Naushera area of Jammu and Kashmir, eight days after mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers were found in the Poonch sector.

“As part of our counter-terrorism operations, punitive fire assaults across the Line of Control (LoC) are being undertaken by the army,” said Maj Gen Ashok Narula, assistant director general, public interface, a wing under the army’s military intelligence directorate in Delhi. A source in the army disclosed that a video footage of the massive fire assault was also released to the media.

“The Pakistan army has been providing support to armed infiltrators by engaging our forward troops from their weapon emplacements and pill-boxes (stationary tanks used as an artillery weapon in the mountains) closer to the LoC. At times, they have not even hesitated to target villages in the proximity of the LoC,” said Maj Gen Narula.

Explaining the rationale behind the fire assault, he said, “Locations aiding infiltration of terrorists are being targeted and destroyed to deny advantage to terrorists, thus curbing infiltration attempts. It is a part of our counter-terrorism strategy to ensure that the army dominates the LoC.”

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who reviewed the security scenario in Srinagar last week with army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, supported the move.

“The Indian Army is taking preemptive and measured actions to counter terrorism in the Valley and disengage Pakistani posts across the LoC supporting infiltration. Such actions are needed to ensure peace in Jammu and Kashmir,” Jaitley said.

Pakistan promptly denied destruction of any of its posts. “Indian claims of destroying Pakistani post along the LoC in Naushera Sector and firing by Pakistani army on civilians across LoC are false,” tweeted Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson of the Pakistan armed forces.

Interestingly, 10 days ago, the same Pakistani officer tweeted a threatening message to the Indian Army without a context.

“The Indian Army has been targeting innocent civilians on both sides of the LoC in the recent past. Any misadventure by the Indian Army across the LoC will be a miscalculation, shall be responded with full force and could lead to unintended consequences,” said Maj Gen Ghafoor, director general of Pakistan’s ISPR, on May 13 – four days after the Indian fire assault.

In September, the Indian Army executed a “surgical strike” across the LoC, killing unknown number of terrorists in their camps.

The bilateral relations between the two neighbours has remained frosty for many months with regular military action being seen at the border.

What is a fire assault?

Concentrated firing on a single target from multiple weapons. For the May 9 assault, the Indian Army fired from rocket launchers, anti-tank guided missiles, automated grenade launchers and recoil less guns.


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(Published 23 May 2017, 20:36 IST)

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