Surgical Strikes Were a Successful Tactical Operation: Army's Northern Command Chief

Kapurthala (Punjab): The 2016 surgical strikes were a successful tactical operation which conveyed a clear message to Pakistan to stop any misadventure along the Line of Control (LoC), Army's Northern Command Chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said on Saturday.

His comments came a day after Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda, who was associated with the operation, said it was natural to have initial euphoria over the success but the constant hype around the surgical strikes was unwarranted.

In hindsight, it would have been better had we had kept it a secret, he had said on Friday at an event in Chandigarh.

On September 29, 2016, Indian Army commandos had carried out surgical strikes against terror launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"From military point of view, these were successful tactical operations, which conveyed a very strategic message and the Indian Army was able to convey a very clear message to Pakistan that should they not stop any kind of misadventure along the LoC, they shall be given befitting reply," Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of his visit to Sainik School, his alma mater.

The then Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), who had announced the operation at a press conference, refused to comment on the politicisation of surgical strikes.

Singh said all actions carried out by the Army along the LoC were carried out in an extremely professional manner to meet the national aspirations and achieve the military objectives.

He said there are many other options to check infiltration of terrorists from across the border.

Surgical strike is only one of the options through which we stop infiltration. The armed forces have a range of options and they are being analysed at all times and the best course of action is put into effect, he said.

Responding to a question about possible attempts to revive militancy in Punjab, Singh said Pakistan was trying to extend the "arc of terrorism" beyond Kashmir and the Army was taking all measures to arrest the spread.

The armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir are fully capable of carrying out any task, he said.

This, he said, is the reason that the situation in the state is completely stable.

If any untoward incident takes place, the armed forces act quickly to restore peace and stability, he added.