Even as the government has been holding strategy-planning meetings on dealing with yesterday’s attack on a military camp at Uri, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh today said the Army had the “desired” capability and it reserved the right to respond at a time and place of its own choice.
The DGMO held a second media briefing in as many days this evening at the South Block. His words indicated that the Army was evaluating its options and if military action was opted for, it would be sudden and precise.
“We have the desired capability to respond to such acts of aggression and violence,” Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said. “We reserve the right to respond to any act of the adversary at a time and place of our own choosing,” he added.
The DGMO’s words are a re-run of the statements made in January 2013 after Lance Naik Hem Raj was beheaded by Pakistan army regulars along the Line of Control in J&K. The then Army Chief, Gen Bikram Singh, had said: “I have given very categorical directions to the Northern Command. When we are provoked, we shall respond immediately. We will retaliate to Pakistan's attack at a place and time of our choosing.”
In July 2014, on the day he was demitting office, General Singh, on being asked if India had responded to the beheading, said, “It has been done (the response)… when we use force, (it) is from tactical to operational to strategic levels.”
The DGMO said the Army had displayed considerable restraint while handling the terror situation along the LoC and in hinterland.
Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said infiltration attempts had shown a marked increase in comparison to the past three-four years. In 2016, 17 infiltration bids were thwarted along the LoC. Of the 110 terrorists eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir, 31 were killed while attempting to cross the LoC. “It indicates a desperate attempt to infiltrate more terrorists with a view to create disturbance,” he added.
The DGMO held a second media briefing in as many days this evening at the South Block. His words indicated that the Army was evaluating its options and if military action was opted for, it would be sudden and precise.
“We have the desired capability to respond to such acts of aggression and violence,” Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said. “We reserve the right to respond to any act of the adversary at a time and place of our own choosing,” he added.
The DGMO’s words are a re-run of the statements made in January 2013 after Lance Naik Hem Raj was beheaded by Pakistan army regulars along the Line of Control in J&K. The then Army Chief, Gen Bikram Singh, had said: “I have given very categorical directions to the Northern Command. When we are provoked, we shall respond immediately. We will retaliate to Pakistan's attack at a place and time of our choosing.”
In July 2014, on the day he was demitting office, General Singh, on being asked if India had responded to the beheading, said, “It has been done (the response)… when we use force, (it) is from tactical to operational to strategic levels.”
The DGMO said the Army had displayed considerable restraint while handling the terror situation along the LoC and in hinterland.
Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said infiltration attempts had shown a marked increase in comparison to the past three-four years. In 2016, 17 infiltration bids were thwarted along the LoC. Of the 110 terrorists eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir, 31 were killed while attempting to cross the LoC. “It indicates a desperate attempt to infiltrate more terrorists with a view to create disturbance,” he added.
