Indian Army had carried out one of deadliest cross-border surgical strikes in August 2011, in which at least eight Pakistani soldiers were killed, a report said today.
Indian soldiers had decapitated three Pakistani soldiers and brought back their heads as trophies, a report by The Hindu said.
The report vindicates Congress’ stand which said that the Army had carried out surgical strikes during UPA rule but it never publicised the raid.
India recently carried out surgical strikes in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and targeted terror camps.
According to the report by the daily, the attack was carried out in retaliation to an attack by Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) in which three Indian soldiers were martyred.
Pakistani team took back the heads of Havildar Jaipal Singh Adhikari and Lance Naik Devender Singh of 20 Kumaon. A soldier of the 19 Rajput, who reported the attack, died later in a hospital.
Citing official documents and videos, The Hindu reported that Indian soldiers from Kupwara-based 28 Division planned 'Operation Ginger' to revenge the Pakistani attack.
To carry out the revenge attack at least seven reconnaissance — physical and air surveillance mounted on UAV — missions were carried out to identify potential targets.
Three Pakistani army posts near Jor, Hifazat and Lashdat lodging point were determined to be vulnerable.
After recee of over two months, the Army launched Operation Ginger on August 30, 2011.
“We decided on Tuesday because in the past, including in Kargil war (of 1999) we always tasted victory on this day. We deliberately planned the operation just a day before the Eid as it was the time when Pakistanis least expected a retaliation,” the report quoted an official involved in the operation.
About 25 Indian Army soldiers, mainly Para Commandos, left on 3.00 am on August 29, 2011, and waited until 10.00 pm.
The Indian team placed claymore mines and detonated it mines after four Pakistani soldiers, led by a Junior Commissioned Officer reached the ambush site. Then they lobbed grenades and fired at them. The soldiers also kept an IED under one of the bodies.
They chopped the heads of three dead soldiers as one of them fell in the river. They took their rank insignias, weapons and other personal items, the daily reported.
Hearing the explosion, two Pakistani teams rushed to the spot but were ambushed and killed by a second Indian team waiting close by.
As the Indian team retreated, loud explosions were heard which showed that the IED that had been kept under the dead soldier was triggered.
Two to three more Pakistani soldiers were killed in the blast.
The entire mission lasted for 45 minutes and Indian armymen left at 7.45 am. Three Pakistani heads — of Subedar Parvez, Havildar Aftab and Naik Imran — three AK 47 rifles and other weapons were taken back by the soldiers. Eight from the enemy team were killed and two more Pakistani soldiers were possibly fatally injured in the attack.
The severed heads were photographed, and later buried on the instructions of senior officers.
Two days later, one of the senior most Generals in the command turned up and asked the team about the heads.
“When he came to know that we had buried them, he was furious and asked us to dig up the heads, burn them and throw the ashes into the Kishenganga, so that no DNA traces are left behind. We did so,” said the report, quoting a source.
