The Indian Army conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) said in a press conference on Thursday. The strikes were carried out to prevent Pakistani terrorists who had “positioned themselves at launch pads with the aim to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other metros,” the army said.
“Significant casualties have been caused to terrorists and those trying to shield them. We don’t have a plan to further conduct such strikes. India has spoken to Pakistan,” DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said. NDTV reports that there were no Indian casualties in the strikes conducted on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
Gen Singh said India shared with Pak army details of the surgical strikes which followed ‘very specific information’ that terrorists were positioning themselves in the launch pads along the LoC. “We have recovered items including GPS which have Pakistani markings. Captured terrorists hailing from PoK or Pakistan have confessed to their training in Pakistan or in Pakistan controlled region,” Singh said.
PM Narendra Modi had informed President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President and former Prime Minister Mahmohan Singh on the surgical strikes. Jammu and Kashmir Governor and CM Mehbooba Mufti had also been informed about the surgical strike.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had informed Chief Ministers of Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury and Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad about surgical strikes.
Details of the strike were announced after PM Modi called an urgent meeting of his cabinet committee on security.
Following the joint press conference by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence, the government has called for an all-party meeting on Thursday. Pakistan troops had on Wednesday reportedly targeted Indian positions with small firearms along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
