Will Respond At Time, Place Of Our Choosing, Says Army On Uri Attack

New Delhi: The Army today said it reserves the right to respond to any cross-border terror attack "at the time and place of our own choosing", a day after the Uri strike that was blamed on a Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed sparking calls for exercising military options.

The Army also said it has the desired capability to respond to any blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate.

The remarks by Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh came at a time when some security experts and political leaders have called for targeting terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after the attack that left 18 soldiers dead and over two dozen injured.

"The Indian Army has displayed considerable restraint while handling the terrorist situation both along the Line of Control and in hinterland. However, we have the desired capability to respond to such blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate by us," Lt Gen Singh said in a statement to the media.

"We reserve the right to respond to any act of the adversary at the time and place of our own choosing," he added.

Lt Gen Singh's remark was identical to the statement given by then Army chief Gen Bikram Singh in 2013 after the January 8 violation of the Line of Control (LoC) in which one soldier was beheaded and the other had his throat slit.

"We'll give them a fitting reply...we will respond at a time and place of our choosing," he had said.

Following the Pathankot attack earlier this year, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had also said the same. However, top Army sources told Press Trust of India that action will be taken but nature and timing of it will not be revealed at the moment.

"There should be an element of surprise which is not there at the moment as Pakistan will be prepared for a retaliation. The Indian Army of course has its strategy in place and will do its job," the sources said.