NEW DELHI, Sept 19: The Army today said it reserves the right to respond to any cross-border terror attack “at the time and place of our own choosing”, a day after the Uri strike that was blamed on a Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM sparking calls for exercising military options.
The Army also said it has the desired capability to respond to any blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate by us.
The remarks by Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh came at a time when some security experts and political leaders have called for targeting terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after the attack that left 18 soldiers dead and over two dozen injured.
“The Indian Army has displayed considerable restraint while handling the terrorist situation both along the Line of Control and in hinterland. However, we have the desired capability to respond to such blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate by us,” Lt Gen Singh said in a statement to the media at the South Block.
“We reserve the right to respond to any act of the adversary at the time and place of our own choosing,” he added.
Lt Gen Singh’s remark was identical to the statement given by then Army chief Gen Bikram Singh in 2013 after the January 8 violation of the Line of Control(LoC) in which one jawan was beheaded and the other had his throat slit.
“We’ll give them a fitting reply…We will respond at a time and place of our choosing,” he had said.
Following the Pathankot attack earlier this year, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had also said the same.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said the total recoveries from the slain terrorists is four AK 47 rifles, four Under Barrel Grenade Launchers, 39 Under Barrel Grenade Launcher grenades, five hand grenades, two radio sets, two GPSs, two map sheets, two matrix sheets, one mobile phone and a large number of food and medicine packets having Pakistani markings.
Lt Gen Singh said infiltration attempts by terrorists have shown a marked increase in comparison to the past 3-4 years.
“In 2016, there have been 17 infiltration bids eliminated by the Indian Army along the Line of Control. Of a total of 110 terrorists eliminated in J&K, 31 have been killed while they were attempting to cross the Line of Control,” he said.
It actually indicates a desperate attempt from across the Line of Control to infiltrate more terrorists into Kashmir with a view to create disturbance and foment unrest in our area, he added.
The officer said the last two infiltration attempts – September 11 in Poonch and September 18 at Uri – were successfully thwarted by the Indian Army by killing of four terrorists in each of the operations. (PTI)
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