The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
DGMO warns Pak counterpart, BSF says attack ‘very well-coordinated’
TWO SOLDIERS BEHEADED
A DAY after a border action team (BAT) of the Pakistan Army crossed the Line of Control and attacked an Indian patrol, killing two soldiers and mutilating their bodies, Lt General A K Bhatt, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), spoke to his Pakistani counterpart and “expressed grave concern about the incident”.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said, “The Pakistani DGMO was also apprised that while undertaking this dastardly act, full fire support was provided by Pakistani Army post located in vicinity of the incident site.”
The DGMO, the statement said, “also raised concerns regarding presence of BAT training camps and teams in close vicinity of Line of Control in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir”.
Official sources told The Indian Express that the presence of BAT training camps refers to local training area for the regular soldiers of Pakistan Army’s Mujahid battalion in Pok’s Battal area. According to sources, the BAT, which attacked the patrol and mutilated the bodies, comprised soldiers from this battalion.
“DGMO Indian Army conveyed that such inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response,” the Ministry said.
The hotline conversation between the two DGSMO took place at 11.30 am, and was initiated at the request of the Indian side. This was apart from the scheduled weekly conversation between the two officers which takes place every Wednesday.
Prior to the DGSMO hotline conversation, a local-level hotline contact was established between the commanders of the Indian and Pakistani battalions at the LOC in the area of the incident Monday evening. In a statement, Pakistan Army said the “Indian counterpart was told that there has been no CFV (ceasefire violation) or crossing of Line of Control by Pakistani troops from Pakistan side nor mutilation of Indian soldiers’ bodies.”
The statement added, “Pakistan remains fully committed to maintain peace and tranquility along the LOC and expect same from other side and hope prudence is exercised and no steps are taken that may lead to vitiating of environment and affect peace along LOC.”
In his address to the Naval Commanders Conference, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley referred to the situation on India’s western border with Pakistan and its linkage to the internal security. He urged the commanders to be prepared at all times as “preparedness is the best deterrent”, the Ministry said in a statement.
In Jammu, BSF Additional Director General, Western Command, K N Choubey described the Pakistani BAT action as “very well coordinated”.
“Every such incident that takes place, every time we learn from it. BSF works under operational control of the Army. Together there will be brainstorming and we will come out with yet more revised SOPS so that such incidents are minimised,” he said.
Referring to the element of surprise, Choubey said: “You can never have spontaneous development like this where simultaneous fire is coming from two distant FDLS (forward defence locations) and at the same time firing coming from two ambushes and a BAT action. It is very well coordinated.”
Pointing out that a joint team of BSF and Army have been deployed for protection of LOC in the Krishna Ghati sector, Choubey said it was a ninemember patrol party, comprising six BSF and three Army personnel, that was attacked while moving along the LOC.
He refused to comment whether there was any connection between the visit of the Pakistan Army chief to the area opposite the Krishna Ghati sector and the BAT action. “It is in everybody’s knowledge that this incident has taken place immediately after the visit of Pakistan Army chief,” he said.