Surgical strikes: From September 29 night ops to latest video proof, all you need to know

READ: Timeline: Post surgical strikes, Pakistan targets forward Indian posts along border

What is a surgical strike?

A surgical strike is essentially a swift and targeted attack on a specific target that aims to neutralise them while ensuring minimum collateral damage to the surrounding areas and civilians. Neutralisation of targets with surgical strikes also prevents a situation from escalating to a full-blown war. Surgical strikes are part of India’s Cold Start doctrine and have proved effective in foiling infiltration attempts by terrorist groups across the LoC.

What was Pakistan’s reaction?

Pakistan, on September 30, 2016, rejected India’s claim that it had conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads along LoC. It said that New Delhi is doing it only to please the media and public. In a statement, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, “The Pakistani Army gave befitting response to the Indian army. Indian Army opened up small arms fire last night on five sectors across LoC. India is doing this under a well-planned objective. If India tries to do this again, we will respond forcefully. India is doing this only to please their media and public.”

Pakistan said at least two army personnel were killed in the exchange of fire between Pakistani and Indian troops.

The exchange of fire began at 2:30am, ISPR said, and continued till 8:00am. “Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing on the LoC in Bhimber, Hotspring Kel and Lipa sectors,” a statement from Pakistan said.

What was the govt reaction?

“When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didn’t understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don’t have to,” Modi said. (Source: PTI Photo/File)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India, by conducting such operations along LoC, has succeeded in showing the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism. He said the September 29 surgical strikes prove that the country can defend itself when needed.

“When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didn’t understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don’t have to,” Modi said at a community reception at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia, in June last year.

Modi had also applauded the precision and tactical warfare of the army in eliminating terrorists across the LoC. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also tried to make it clear that security forces can cross over the Line of Control, if needed, to protect country’s territorial integrity.

In October 2016, the then urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu had rejected the Opposition’s demand for proof of the surgical strikes, saying that any further debate on the matter would be an “insult” to the Army. His remarks were reiterated by other union ministers who said that releasing the video was not necessary as the Army had already issued a statement on the strikes.

What was the opposition’s reaction?

Congress said that surgical strikes were conducted thrice during the party-led UPA rule but their government did not make loud claims in the interest of national security. “We are proud that even in the past our forces have successfully conducted such surgical strikes on numerous occasions, particularly on September 1, 2011, July 28, 2013 and January 14, 2014, giving a befitting reply to the enemy,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had said.

On the question of Pakistan’s denial on surgical strikes, Mr Surjewala said: “There has never been a reason to raise a question or doubt on the statements by DGMO on surgical strike. The government needs to call the Pakistani bluff and false propaganda by using all information, evidence and instruments at their disposal.”

Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram.

However, the grand old party said that “on the issues of national security there can be no two opinions, despite political differences between Congress and BJP.”

Meanwhile, former finance minister P Chidambaram had raised concerns over the authenticity of surgical strikes and asked the government for proof. “UPA did PoK strikes too, but it is up to the present government to give proof of the surgical strikes. The much-hyped surgical strike on last Wednesday night was not the only time that Army had crossed the LoC to take punitive action,” he had said.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, while lauding the Army’s efforts, asked the government to release video footage of the strikes.

The latest: Surgical strikes video released

Video clips of September 29 operations across the LoC were broadcast on several TV channels on Wednesday, for the first time. These clips showed some terrorists being killed, besides destruction of bunkers and other military constructions. TV channels claimed these videos, which they had accessed from official sources, were taken by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Thermal Imaging (TI) cameras used by the Army to monitor the operation.

Lt General D S Hooda (retd), former Northern Army Commander who was directly in-charge of the surgical strikes told The Indian Express that the videos are real. The feed of these videos was reportedly being broadcast live during the surgical strikes to the operations room of his headquarters in Udhampur.