Army targetted 7 terror camps across the Line of Control in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (file photo)
On a day India announced it had carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control, targeting Pakistani terrorists, the grieving families of the soldiers killed in the terror attack at Kashmir's Uri, said they were united in support of the move.
The surgical strikes, undertaken by the army last night, had destroyed the launch pads of terrorists who were ready to infiltrate into India to carry out attacks. It came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the attack at the Uri army base, in which 18 soldiers had died, will not go unpunished.
In Maharashtra, the family of Somnath Thok, one of the soldiers who died in Uri, said the strikes were welcome but should have happened earlier.
"Had it happened earlier, it could have saved lives. But such actions will serve as a warning to Pakistan for the future," said Somnath's brother Dyaneshwar Thok.
When the body of 28-year-old Harendra Yadav arrived at his village in eastern UP's Ghazipur, the entire village had recalled how he rescued two people and animals from a burning hut in March.
Harendra has five brothers. His elder brothers work for private companies, but the youngest wants to join the army.
"I had decided I would not send any more boys from this family into the army. But today my faith in the army has been restored," said Kedar Yadav, Harendra's father.
In Bihar's Gaya district, the wife and daughter of SK Vidyarthi called the surgical strikes a "brave act".
"It is a fitting reply to go into enemy territory and kill those who want to destabilise our country," said his daughter Arti.