Army ‘won’t hesitate’ to strike terror bases

Military action across line of control certain if enemy threat arises, Lt Gen Anbu says

Lieutenant-General Devraj Anbu, India’s Vice-Chief of Army Staff, has said the country’s security forces won’t hesitate to launch another surgical strike on militant bases in Pakistan if the need arises.

India conducted what it described as “surgical strikes” on September 29, 2016, across the Line of Control, in response to a militant attack on an army base in the Uri sector of Jammu & Kashmir, earlier that month.

“The surgical strikes on militant launch pads across the border were a show of strength by our armed forces and we won’t hesitate to do it again if the enemy challenges us,” Lt Gen Anbu said in response to a question by reporters on the sidelines of the Indian Military Academy’s Passing Out Parade (POP) in Dehradun on Saturday.

Nineteen Indian soldiers died in the attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

On Friday, Retd Lt Gen D.S. Hooda, who was the Northern Army commander at the time the surgical strike was carried out, said the constant hype around the precision operation was unwarranted.

He, however, said the initial euphoria over the success of the military action was only natural.

Responding to a question from the audience during a panel discussion in Chandigarh, Lt Gen Hooda said that with hindsight, it might have been better had “we done it [surgical strikes] secretly”.

Women’s role

On the plans to give women combat roles in the armed forces, Lt Gen Anbu said different aspects of the proposition are being examined as conditions along the borders with Pakistan and China are different from the rest of the country. In July this year, army chief General Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat roles, currently an exclusive domain of men, was moving fast.