It was the morning of September 29, 2016, and India was waking up to news of an Indian Army operation across the Line of Control (LoC).
He added that the operations had ended and there were no plans for further continuation, while stressing that the armed forces remained prepared for any contingency. The attackers also used incendiary ammunition, setting fire to Army tents and temporary shelters. Overnight, the Indian Army had targeted terrorist launch pads in an operation announced as a response to the September 18 Uri attack that killed 19 soldiers. Four heavily armed terrorists opened fire on the base at around 5.30 am. The Army said four terrorists were killed during the operation and that four AK-47 rifles and four under-barrel grenade launchers were recovered. Its initial statement put the number of Army fatalities at 17. The final toll rose to 19. In March 2017, the Defence Ministry said compensation had been approved for the families of 19 soldiers martyred in the Uri attack.
The Indian Army announced the operation in a carefully worded briefing that morning, with then Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh saying the strikes had been carried out based on “specific and credible inputs” about terrorist teams positioned at launch pads along the LoC. The operation, he said, was aimed at preventing the teams from infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir and carrying out attacks in the country. “Based on receiving specific and credible inputs that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along Line of Control to carryout infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states, the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes at several of these launch pads,” Singh said. The DGMO said the operations had caused “significant casualties” to terrorists and those supporting them.
“The Surgical Strike boldly demonstrated to the entire world a new example of India’s counter-terrorism policy,” Modi said, describing it as India’s “decisive response” to the pain caused by terrorist attacks.
