Rawat warns Pak of ‘befitting reply’
Says India will respond strongly to any provocation by the neighbour
NEW DELHI: Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday warned Pakistan that India would respond strongly to any provocation by the neighbouring army that continues to violate the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) to help terrorists sneak into the country.
On the 70th Army Day celebrations at the Cariappa Parade Ground here, the Army chief said any provocative action from Pakistan will lead to a befitting reply.
“On the LoC, the Pakistan Army is continuing ceasefire violations and helping terrorists to infiltrate (into India). We are using our might to teach them a lesson. Any provocative action from Pakistan’s side will get a befitting reply,” Rawat said.
Rawat said if forced, the army was prepared to scale up its offensive against terror groups.
“If we are forced, we may resort to other action by stepping up the military offensive,” he said.
General Rawat’s warning comes on a day when five militants from Jaish-e-Mohammed’s suicide squad were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) in a joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police, army and paramilitary forces and four Pakistani soldiers were killed in shelling Kashmir’s Kotli sector.
Rawat said the army would not allow anti-national activities to succeed in Jammu and Kashmir at any cost.
“Targeting Amarnath pilgrims, attacking policemen and army personnel from Jammu and Kashmir, including murder of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, were attempts to attack national unity and divide the society,” he said.
About the border with China, the Army chief said the dispute along the line of actual control (LAC) with China was still on and the army was taking steps to stop Chinese transgressions.
“Disputes are on along the Line of Actual Control, the northern border. Ensuring the security of the LAC is our primary responsibility,” he said.
Rawat said that in the country’s northeast, people-friendly operations had curbed terror though some groups were still trying to disrupt peace. “The Indian Army has coordinated with Assam Rifles and others to isolate these groups and is continuing operations.”
He also said that all the forces the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard along with other security forces are working together for the country and he believed that they could “utilise each other’s capability and win any battle”.
› from across the LoC in Pakistanadministered
On the LoC, the Pakistan Army is continuing ceasefire violations and helping terrorists to infiltrate (into India). We are using our might to teach them a lesson. Any provocative action from Pakistan’s side will get a befitting reply
GENERAL BIPIN RAWAT, Army chief