ISPR ‘lie’ on hitting Indian post exposed
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: Pakistan is reported to have suffered heavy damages and casualties (both fatal and non-fatal) in massive retaliatory action undertaken by the Indian Army on the Line of Control (LoC) across twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri even as Army has categorically denied a video uploaded by Pakistan’s Information Wing Major General Asif Ghafoor claiming destruction of an Indian post in Tatta Paani area of Mendhar sector in Poonch district and killing of five Indian soldiers describing the claim as “figment of imagination”.
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Sources told the Excelsior that “minimum of seven to eight” Pakistani posts have been hit and destroyed completely in retaliatory action by the Indian troops across Rajouri and Poonch districts. Pakistan has suffered three to four fatal and non-fatal casualties inside the posts and the number could go up.
“No post of Indian Army has been hit at Tatta Paani in Mendhar sector or anywhere else in Rajouri and Poonch districts as claimed by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor in a video uploaded on twitter. Ghafoor’s claim is absurd. There is no truth in the claim that five Indian soldiers have been killed in destruction of the post,” sources said, adding that after suffering heavy casualties and damages, Pakistan was now resorting to absolute lies for face saving.
Sources said Army has responded to ceasefire violations by Pakistan “more than aggressively” causing heavy damages and casualties on their side. However, they added, since Pakistan army controls their media, the number of casualties of Pakistani troops is blacked out.
“They give the figure of only civilian casualties and don’t mention about Army fatalities. Not even Pakistan Parliament is briefed on the casualties. Pakistan only lists the casualties suffered by them on Afghanistan border and blacks-out the losses faced along the Indian borders,” they added.
Asserting that this strategy was being followed by Pakistan since long, sources said this was aimed at boosting morale of their troops, which was at its low. “If Pakistan would show up exact number of fatalities suffered on the Indian borders, not only their troops but the people would be shocked,” they added.
“In every engagement, we have with Pakistan army, we have inflicted heavy casualties and damages on Pakistan side,” sources said, adding that retaliatory actions against Pakistan army have been necessitated to target their posts, which hit Indian civilian areas and give shelter to the terrorists to facilitate their launching into this side.
As Pakistan has suffered heavy casualties across Mendhar sector, their army came out with a fake video showing destruction of the Indian post, sources. The civil administration in Mendhar today also contradicted the Pakistani claim of destruction of an Indian Army post saying no such incident has taken place in Mendhar.
“The Indian Army, with all its Commanding Officer along the LoC being given adequate freedom of action, is hammering and bleeding the Pakistan army to deny it any tactical advantage of moral ascendancy along the LoC,” sources said.
If India lost 32 soldiers in ceasefire violations, infiltration and other incidents along the LoC in 2016 (another 30 laid down their lives in counter-terrorism operations in the hinterland), sources said nearly 130-140 Pakistani troopers were killed in the same year. The assessment is there are over 300 terrorists (the number could be even around 400) in and around launching pads along the LoC on Pakistan sides looking for an opportunity to enter into the Indian territory.
“In view of massive presence of militants along LoC, Indian troops are bracing up for “hot summer” both on LoC and hinterland and even possibility of tension defusing on the LoC also seems to be remote.
The Army sources claimed that a total of 20 Pakistani Army personnel were killed this year while the number was 138 in 2017.
The sources said senior commanders of Pakistan Army have been frequently visiting Pakistani posts in the last few weeks in the wake of aggressive response by India to Pakistani actions.
They said Pakistan has increased the alert levels at all its posts along the LoC due to Indian actions.
“We are inflicting heavy pain on Pakistani side,” Army sources said.
Pakistan army is reported to have issued “very high level alerts” all along LoC following aggressive and “pro-active approach” by the Indian troops, which was aimed at thwarting infiltration attempts on the borders and actions by the Border Action Teams (BATs) of Pakistan, which are mixture of Pakistani troops and hardcore militants.
Sources said Indian troops have used anti-tank laser guided missiles to hit Pakistani militants and other targets across LoC in response to US TOW-2 anti-tank guided missiles used by Pakistani troops in which four Army soldiers including a Captain were recently martyred.
Only yesterday, Army had announced that it has given full freedom to its Field Commanders to take any kind of retaliatory action against Pakistan army to thwart infiltration attempts and any other kind of misadventures on the LoC.
Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat had also reviewed situation prevailing along the LoC yesterday on his return to New Delhi after three-day Nepal visit.
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