6-10 Pakistani Soldiers and ‘Far More’ Terrorists Killed in Cross-Border Attack, Says Army Chief Bipin Rawat

The attack was in retaliation to the ceasefire violation from Pakistan earlier on Sunday, during which one civilian and two soldiers were killed, and three other civilians injured.

An Indian Army official said Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violations to assist infiltration by terrorists into Indian territory in Tangadhar sector last evening.

“As a result calibrated escalation of area weapons was undertaken by the Indian side in which terrorist launch pads and several Pakistan Army posts giving incidental protection to these launch pads and certain gun positions were hit,” the official said.

He said Indian Army retains the right to respond at a time and place of its choosing in case Pakistan Army continues to assist terrorist activities from across Indian borders.

The sources said the pounding of Pakistani positions and terror camps cannot in any way be compared to surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in September 2016 on terror launch pads across the Line of Control.

Pakistan military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor denied the Indian government claims and tweeted that Pakistan lost one soldier and three civilians in the skirmishes.

Terrorists backed by the camps were said to be trying to infiltrate into India as a response to the government’s decision to scrap Article 370.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Army Chief General Bipin Rawat over the situation in the Tangdhar sector. The Defence Minister is personally monitoring the situation and has asked the Army Chief to keep updating him, the sources added.

Pakistan has violated the ceasefire over 2,000 times along the LoC until September this year, killing and injuring scores of civilians and army men. India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to ask its forces to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire understanding and maintain peace and tranquillity along the LoC and the International Border.

Image Courtesy: Bloomberg