Deccan Chronicle

Army bombs Pak outpost

Punitive fire assaults across LoC are being undertaken: Army

- SANJIB KR BARUAH | DC

The Indian Army on Tuesday claimed that it had carried out massive fire assaults across the Line of Control (LoC) and caused major damage to a Pakistan Army post. It released a 24second video showing Indian bombs blowing up a Pakistani outpost near the Naushera sector in Jammu and Kashmir to smithereen­s.

The strike, the Army said, was part of a counter-terrorism strategy and aimed at preventing terrorist infiltrati­on aided by the Pakistan Army.

The post that was targeted is a known location that shelters militants and aids their infiltrati­on into the Indian side, usually under cover of firing by the Pakistani Army.

Making a rare appearance on Tuesday, Major General Ashok K. Narula, who heads the additional directorat­e general of public informatio­n (ADGPI), told reporters, “As part of our counter-terrorism operations, punitive fire assaults across the LoC are being undertaken by the Indian Army.”

While the Army did not reveal operationa­l details of the strike and the area of the operation was not clearly identifiab­le in the video clip, sources said the strike was carried out on May 7, nine days after two Indian security personnel were beheaded.

On May 1, two Indian soldiers were beheaded by a Border Action Team (BAT) of the Pakistani Army in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch.

The Indian Army on Tuesday claimed that it had carried our massive fire assaults across the LoC and caused major damage to a Pakistan Army post.

Major General Ashok K. Narula, who heads the additional directorat­e general of public informatio­n (ADGPI), told reporters, “Pak Army has been providing support to armed infiltrato­rs by engaging our forward troops from their weapon emplacemen­ts and pill-boxes closer to the Line of Control. At times they have not even hesitated to target villages in the proximity of LoC. As part of our counter-terrorism strategy and to ensure that infiltrati­on is curbed and initiative remains with us, the Indian Army proactivel­y dominates the Line of Control.” The ADGPI, under the DG of military intelligen­ce, deals with media relations. “We have done it and we will do it again. There is much more to come,” a top military source told this newspaper, indicating that more targeted assaults across the LoC can be expected.

While the Army denied that artillery guns were used in the assault, the video seemed to indicate that Automatic Grenade Launchers and 105 mm guns fixed to discarded Vijayanta tanks may have been used.

 ??  ?? A video grab of a footage released by the Indian Army of a massive fire assault on a Pakistani post to check infiltrati­ons, near Nowshera, J&K.
A video grab of a footage released by the Indian Army of a massive fire assault on a Pakistani post to check infiltrati­ons, near Nowshera, J&K.

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