Surgical strikes conveyed LoC can be breached, says Army

Udhampur (J&K): A top Army commander on Thursday said the surgical strikes carried out last year at terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were intended to convey the message that the Line of Control (LoC) can be breached whenever the need arises.

Lt. Gen. Devraj Anbu, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Northern Command, also ruled out any Dokalam type stand-off between the armies of India and China in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), saying a multi- tier mechanism is in place to resolve any issue that may arise due to differences in perception of the border.

He was addressing a press conference after presenting gallantry and distinguished services medals to 103 army officers and jawans and certificates of appreciation to 31 units apart from 31 civilians at an investiture ceremony at the Northern Command headquarters here.

During the media interaction, he referred to the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian special forces at terror camps across the LoC in September last year. “The surgical strike was a point we wanted to drive home across — that the Line of Control (LoC) is not a line that cannot be breached. When we want to, we will be able to breach it [LoC], go across and strike when we need. This was the message we wanted to convey and we did,” he said. Replying to a volley of questions about the possibility of Dokalam-type stand-off between the armies of India and China in Ladakh, Gen. Anbu said, “I don’t expect Dokalam-like situation to take place. It is not working here.”

He said both countries have their own perception about the LAC and “therefore, we try to dominate these areas by patrolling. In the process, (if) you have certain faceoffs and any issues arising out of this due to difference of perception, we have mechanism which is in place.”  The Army commander said the mechanism is “well-placed”, from lowest to highest level.