New Delhi:
After years of ‘Pakistan-sponsored’ terror strikes, the Indian Army finally retaliated with ‘surgical strikes’ in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) on the intervening night of September 28 and 29 in an operation that lasted for about four and a half hours. 38 terrorists and 2 Pakistani soldiers were killed, while seven terror camps were destroyed in the surgical strike by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC). Heliborne as well as ground forces were deployed during the operation.
According to sources, the launch pads in PoK were in the range of 2 to 3km from the LoC and were under surveillance for over one week. Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said the strikes targeted 5-6 places across the LoC along Kupwara and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. There was no casualty on the Indian side, he said.
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The announcement of the sudden action by the Army to prevent fresh terror attacks was made by the DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh , 11 days after the strike by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Kashmir over which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the attackers will not go "unpunished" and that the sacrifice of 18 jawans will not go in vain.
Here is how India is now preparing to face any retaliation from Pakistan following the Army's surgical strikes across the LoC:
BSF puts all border units along international border on high alert
The BSF has put all its units along the international border (IB) on "high alert" in the wake of the surgical strikes by India on terror launch pads across the LoC last night.
Officials said the Border Security Force (BSF) has issued orders to all its units along IB in Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat to step up vigil and bolster their numbers at the posts by bringing in all personnel who are in the reserve. The ceremonial beating retreat ceremony at Attari border has also been closed for public on Thursday, officials said.
Watch video | Nation celebrates Indian Army's surgical strike in PoK
Border villagers in J&K, Punjab asked to shift to safer places
People living within 10km of the border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab have been asked to shift to safer places and schools ordered to be shut till further notice in the wake of surgical strike carried out by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC).
"We have asked border villagers living along IB and LoC to shift to safer area as a precautionery measure," deputy commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.
All people living within 7 to 8km of India-Pakistan border have been asked to move to safer areas and schools in 10km area to be ordered to close down till further notice, he said.
These directions have been passed on to people living along IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and along LOC in Rajouri and Poonch, officials said. In some areas of R S Pura, the movement of the border residents to safer places has already begun.
"We have passed directions to them to move to safer places and some of them have started to move to the houses of their relatives in safer places," a Police officer said.
Army has started evacuating people living in the adjoining areas in Noushera belt of Rajouri anticipation of a possible retaliation by Pakistani troops, officials said.
ALSO READ: How was Indian Army's surgical strike carried out in PoK? Here's what happened in those 4-1/2 hours
In Punjab too, people residing in villages within 10 km of the International Border were asked to shift to safer places. Six districts of the state share border with Pakistan. The schools in the border areas have also been asked to remain shut until further orders, they said.
Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has put the entire government and political machinery in an emergency mode, an official spokesman said in Chandigarh.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Badal over telephone today to request him to immediately start the process of evacuation of the people residing in the villages falling within 10km of the international border in view of the escalating situation, the spokesman said.
Badal has directed the chief secretary and DGP to ask the concerned deputy commissioners (DCs) and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) to oversee the entire evacuation process in the border districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Amritsar, Taran Tarn, Gurdaspur and Pathankot.
BSF puts all border units along IB on high alert
The BSF has put all its units along the International Border on “high alert” in the wake of the surgical strikes by India on terror launch pads across the LoC last night.
ALSO READ | India's surgical strike in Pok: Here's how India reacted
Officials said the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters here has issued orders to all its units along IB in Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat to step up vigil and bolster their numbers at the posts by bringing in all personnel who are in the reserve.
India takes other nations onboard
Stepping up India's diplomatic offensive, foreign secretary S Jaishankar on Thursday met envoys of 22 countries, including five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council He briefed them about Army's surgical strikes. In order to mount international pressure on Pakistan, India has already opted out of the Islamabad SAARC summit. After India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also decided to skip, which led to the postponement of SAARC summit.
Rajnath chairs all-party meet
Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday briefed leaders of major political parties+ on the situation in the wake of Army's surgical strike targeting terror launch pads across the Line of Control.
