Terming ‘surgical strikes’ as an “operational necessity”, top defence experts on Thursday lent their weight behind India’s move saying the “levels of tolerance” had been crossed making such an attack necessary.
Former top guns of the military lauded the bravery and calibrated approach of the Indian security forces as also the government for allowing the military to carry out the task and said “a long pending debt has been paid back today”. They justified the strikes, saying the forces had entered into Indian territory occupied by Pakistan.
“I am very pleased that the government is letting the Army do what it needs to do. Let Pakistani military know that this is what we have done and we will continue to do it (if) they do not behave themselves. We need a big heart for doing this. We have to congratulate the intelligence sources for providing accurate information on whereabouts of militants. We need to compliment the government for giving a free hand to the military. So, obviously, government had given a clean action chit to the military who launched a surgical strike with good dividend,” former DG Infantry Lt Gen S Prasad said.
Noting that the forces adopted a “very calibrated approach” in their strikes, he said this is how the Indian government should react by leaving the military to do the job. Former RAW chief C D Sahay said the strikes had to happen and were “inescapable”, contending these should not be related to the Pathankot or Uri attacks as there has been a long history of trans-border infiltration.
He lauded India for dealing with such matters with a mature approach while maintaining calm.
“The red lines have (been) crossed. The levels of tolerance have (been) crossed and this had to happen. I would congratulate them, but I would still urge (India) not to go gung-ho about it. It was an operational necessity. It was a security necessity. It had to be done. I would urge everyone to move on from here and not escalate (tensions) further,” he said.
India carried out ‘surgical strikes’ on terror launch pads across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir last night, inflicting “significant casualties” on terrorists and those harbouring them. The announcement of the sudden action by the army was made on Thursday by DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, 11 days after a terror strike by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on an Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir which left 18 soldiers dead.
After the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the attackers will not go “unpunished” and that the sacrifice of 18 jawans will not go in vain.
(With inputs from PTI)
