Military infra at PoK's Leepa Valley decimated, will take months to rebuild: Army officials

Tangdhar: The Chinar Corps of the Indian Army has completely destroyed military infrastructure at Leepa Valley in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), officials said.

Indian Army officials estimate that it will take Pakistan 8-12 months to rebuild the infrastructure.

During a visit by PTI to the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar, a forward village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, the destruction of Pakistani military infrastructure, resulting from Indian Army’s response to ceasefire violations in the second week of May during Operation Sindoor, was evident.

"We completely destroyed at least three posts, an ammunition depot, fuel storage facility, and gunnery, among other targets. Our retaliation was so devastating that it will take Pakistan at least 8-12 months to rebuild, possibly longer,” a senior Indian Army official told PTI.

Another official said that the Pakistan Army employed heavy weaponry, including aerial platforms, to target Indian positions but failed to inflict any damage.

"Our indigenously developed Akashdeep radar system performed brilliantly while our air defence guns neutralised their aerial platforms. Our military infrastructure remains intact, while the enemy's has been decimated," the second official said.

The officials noted that several vacant military structures were present in Leepa Valley but the Indian Army targeted only those where maximum damage could be inflicted.

Based on information from various sources, the officials said at least 64 Pakistani military personnel were killed and 96 injured by the Chinar Corps during the retaliatory strikes in the second week of May.

"The message was clear – our retaliation follows a 1:3 ratio, meaning the Indian Army will strike three times as hard for every Pakistani ceasefire violation," a top Chinar Corps official said.

Providing details about the 25-minute strike near Muzaffarabad in PoK on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the officials said the coordinated strikes were so intense that the commander of PoK’s 75th Infantry Brigade urged troops to prioritise saving lives over protecting assets.

"Intercepted communication revealed how a Pakistan Army commander, hiding inside a mosque, was instructing troops to save lives first. One message was 'save lives first, offices can reopen later',” a senior Chinar Corps official said.

Under Operation Sindoor, India demolished nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK on May 7. In response, Pakistan tried to strike Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10.

Both nations agreed to halt hostilities on May 10 after four days of clashes.