Surgical Strikes: Know All About Indian Army’s Action on JeM Terror Launchpads in PoK To Avenge Uri Attack

India is celebrating the third anniversary of the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC) on terror launchpads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on September 29, 2016. Since last year, the day is celebrated as Prakarm Parv to commemorate the success of the surgical strikes. The operation was conducted to avenge terror attack on the Indian Army camp in Uri on September 18, 2019. Surgical Strikes After Uri Terror Attack: Remembering Heroes of Indian Army's Daring Cross-Border Mission That Stunned Pakistan.

Nineteen soldiers were martyred in the fidayeen attack carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Before the Uri attack, similar terrorist attacks took place in Gurdaspur and Pathankot. After the Uri Attack, the Modi government left with no option but to send the forces across the LoC to destroy terror launchpads. BJP Leaders Question Opposition's Reluctance in Giving Credit to Modi for Surgical Strikes.

On September 21, India summoned the Pakistan High Commission Abdul Basit and gave a protest letter detailing the involvement of a terrorist group based in Pakistan. However, later Pakistan said that no evidence was provided by India. As per reports, the Cabinet Committee meet on security was held on September 24 during which plans of carrying out military operation across the LoC. '6 Surgical Strikes in UPA Era': Congress Lists Each One of Them to Counter PM Modi on National Security.

Four teams of Parachute Commandoes crossed the LoC at Midnight on September 29. Two teams of 4 Para crossed the LoC in the Nowgam sector of Kupwara district, while teams of 9 Para simultaneously crossed the LoC in Poonch district. By 2 am. IST, the special forces teams had travelled 1–3 km on foot, and had started destroying terrorist bases with hand-held grenades and 84 mm rocket launchers. One Indian Army soldier was injured in the attack.

After successfully carrying out the strikes, the Indian troops returned to their base camps by morning. On the same day, the then Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh in a media briefing informed the media about the Indian Army’s operation. According to reports, 35-50 terrorists were killed. Manmohan Singh: Surgical Strikes in UPA Era as Well, But Modi Government Using Army's Valour For Political Gains.

Pakistan rejected the India’s claims of conducting the surgical strikes in PoK. The Inter-Services Public Relations said that there had been only "cross border firing". On October 1, the Pakistani Army took the international media outlets to a location where India claimed to have conducted the surgical strikes on September 29. The foreign reporters claimed that there was no damage inflicted in the area visited by them, but they further added that they only saw what the Pakistani Army showed them.

On September 28, last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurated Parakram Parv exhibition at the military station, Jodhpur, to mark the second anniversary of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army across the LoC. The government also released a video clip of the 2016 surgical strike which was made using overhead footage from unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs and thermal imaging. The video showed a terror launchpad being destroyed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 29, 2019 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).