New Delhi:
The army has carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent Pakistani terrorists who had "positioned themselves at launch pads with the aim to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other metros," said the army today. India revealed the strikes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the cabinet committee on security. He had pledged that this month's attack by Pakistani terrorists on an army base in Uri in Kashmir will be punished.
JUST IN: Pak PM Nawaz Sharif has convened a joint session of Parliament on October 5 on surgical strike, says news agency ANI quoting Pakistan media.
A situation of high alert has been called in Rajasthan
Today the Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Katariya called for a high level meeting to review the security situation.
"We are alert, our police stations on the border are on alert, not from today but from the past three days. But there is no move to evacuate any villages in Rajasthan, and no plan to do so either, " he said.
Villages across the border are on high alert and are being evacuated after Indian Army conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expresses grave concern over escalation of situation along the state's borders with Pakistan after surgical strikes
Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir is part of India, so we have not any violated anything. We have acted against terrorists: Rajyavardhan Rathore to NDTV
To Defend Ourselves, We Can Attack Too: Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore to NDTV
- Time and again India has been attacked repeatedly, and we've shown restraint all along
- The Army carried out surgical strikes, it's clear that we will do everything possible to defend ourselves
- We will not bow down to terror
- India not only has the capability to defend itself but can also attack to defend itself
- This is directed purely towards terrorists, it is not a military action
UPDATE:
India strikes were conducted 500 metres to 2 kilometres inside Pakistani territory: sources
Watch: Press conference confirming Indian Army's 'surgical strikes' across Line of Control:
Former military chiefs and experts have said India's surgical strikes were both needed and executed immaculately. "This could not continue unchallenged given what happened in Uri," G Parthasarthy, former envoy to Pakistan, adding the India's diplomatic offensive to isolate Pak "prepared the grounds" for last night's action.
Tension between India and Pakistan has escalated to its sharpest in nearly a decade since Pakistani terrorists attacked an army camp in Uri in Kashmir earlier this month. 18 soldiers were killed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged the attack would not go unpunished. India has moved to globally isolate Pakistan at the United Nations and other international bodies like SAARC.
The Pakistani military's press wing, however, said, "This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross border fire as surgical strike is fabrication of truth. Pakistan has made it clear that if there is a surgical strike on Pakistani soil, same will be strongly responded," it added.
Pakistan has denied the strikes and accused India of cross-border firing that killed two Pakistani soldiers.
"We condemn this attack, our desire for peace should not be interpreted as our weakness," Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying by Pakistani media.
The government has in recent weeks indicated that its campaign against Pakistan will largely be centred around diplomatically isolating it. In line with that strategy, the Prime Minister said he will not travel in November to Pakistan to attend the regional SAARC summit. Three other countries of the eight-member SAARC have joined India's boycott.
Details of the strike were announced after PM Modi called an urgent meeting of his cabinet committee on security.
The strikes the army spoke of today are the first major military action taken by India after terrorists from Pakistan crossed into an army camp in Uri in Kashmir earlier this month. 18 soldiers were killed in that attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged that the attack will not go unpunished.
A surgical strike is "a calculated maneuver to ensure you deliver maximum damage which gives a big surprise to your adversary," explained former air chief Fali Major, praising last night's operation for its execution.
There were no Indian casualties in the strikes which took place last night across the Line of Control, said sources to NDTV.
The army said Pakistan was informed - in keeping with protocol - of the cross-border strike and that the action came after escalating violations of the 2003 ceasefire. The army also said that recently captured terrorists have confessed to their training and arming in Pakistan and Global Positioning Systems recovered from them further established their firm Pakistani connect.
The army has carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent Pakistani terrorists who had "positioned themselves at launch pads with the aim to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other metros," said the army today. India revealed the strikes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the cabinet committee on security. He had pledged that this month's attack by Pakistani terrorists on an army base in Uri in Kashmir will be punished.