Experts giggle off Indian claim over surgical strikes at Line Control

LINE OF CONTROL  (LoC)

The Indian army’s becoming a claim company in carrying out ‘surgical strikes’ on the Pakistani side of the Line Control (LoC). The claim company also raises the query that, Is such a chic and precise measurements-guided action possible in a highly military cop zone? Strategic experts all giggles the Indian strategic pillars military claim of having the ability to conduct such an operation through military decision making process.

On the border the de facto border line control that divides the India Kashmir and Pakistan Kashmir is around 880 kilometres long. For decades, there has been a huge concentration of India & Pakistan troops on both sides of the LoC. In recent years, India taking advantage of the 2003 ceasefire agreement has erected a fence along the LoC and of late employed the latest surveillance devices to stop any infiltration from the Pakistani side.

Daily Kashmir times reported as Since the Uri attack that intensified fear, stress and anxiety & sparked fears of a possible military showdown violence, Pakistani Army has been on the ‘high state of alert’ to deal with any unfortunate situation.

The Indian army provided little insight as to how the entire operation was conducted. The media there, however, said the operation was a combination of air assault and ground forces. Special Forces were para-dropped for the operation, it added.

It said alleged terror a terror launch pads targeted were in the range of 2- 3 kilometres from the line control (LoC)

Military defense analysts are also astonished at the Indian claim of conducting pins and strikes and that too at a time when relations between the two arch enemies are on the edge and any misadventures may lead to a serious military conflict.

Maj Gen (retd) Ejaz Awan finds the Indian claims that special operations command were para-dropped as implausible. “So, if they para-dropped special troops, then how they pulled them out after they completed their so-called surgical strikes,” he questioned.

“For pulling out these troops, you need helicopters on the ground,” he explained saying this was easier said than getting it done.

Lt Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib, who had also served at the Line Control during his service, concurred with the assessment. He said intrusion was possible at some mountainous areas along the border line, but to say that Indian special forces came and carried out ‘surgical strikes’ and went back undetected was “too good a story to be believed”.

 “India is still on the cusp of building a sophisticated and modernization irregular capability to conduct counter terrorism center operations, while much of its forces are still organized and trained on cold War 1 models,” he added.

 “Over the last decade, India has spearheaded efforts to modernization her military to include domestic production of UAVs. Rostum I & II could provide India with an air platform capable of surgical strikes for cyber surveillance, and inteligence collection. However, these platforms are still in development.”

If this is the case, then it begs a question: why the Narendra Modi PM government presented a routine exchange of fire as ‘surgical strikes’? The reason, experts say, is that the Indian prime minister was under immense pressure to live up to his own promises that his administration would punish the Uri attackers.

Modi has launched an international relations and diplomacy offensive against Pakistan taking a series of steps such as boycotting the Saarc summit, threatening to review the water treaty as well as MFN status for Pakistan. But all those measures, he knew, would make little difference to Pakistan.

“Hence he [Narendra Modi Pm] needs face saving,” said Gen Shoaib. By claiming that the Indian military power carried out surgical strikes, Modi can now go to the public and hyper-nationalist media that he avenged the Uri attack.

This situation, many observers believe, would help Modi build his election campaign for the crucial state elections in politically important states such as Utter Pardesh next year.

When asked, in the army a senior military official said Pakistan ‘does not foresee’ any escalation management system in stress and anxiety  but added that the country’s armed forces were vigilant to face any threat.