Indian army refutes reports of 'pinpoint strikes' in PoK

The Indian Army on Thursday refuted reports of carrying out "pinpointed strikes" on suspected terror launchpads inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Indian Army Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh said that the Indian Army has not conducted any action in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"Reports of Indian Army's action in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) across the Line of Control are fake," Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh said.

The DGMO had to react as news reports suggested that the Indian Army had carried out precision strikes against terrorists in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The army also clarified that there has been no firing or ceasefire violations along the LoC on Thursday.

Earlier, a report quoting government sources claimed that the Indian Army had carried out "pinpointed strikes" on suspected terror launchpads inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to Pakistani military's unrelenting efforts to push maximum number of terrorists into India before the onset of harsh winters.

Triggering a major flare up, Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling in several areas along the Line of Control in north Kashmir on Friday killing five security personnel apart from at least four civilians.

The Indian Army mounted a major retaliation pounding several Pakistani positions with anti-tank guided missiles and artillery guns in which at least eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and 12 others injured.

In the last few weeks, Pakistan Army has been aggressively targeting civilians on Indian side of the Line of Control by resorting to indiscriminate firing by heavy calibre artillery guns to support infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

This year, 21 innocent civilians have lost their lives in Pakistani firing compared to 18 in the whole of 2019, according to official data.

Pakistani military has also been resorting to firing at Indian Army posts along the LoC with heavy calibre weapons, the sources said.

This year eight infiltration bids were foiled and 14 terrorists have been neutralised along the LoC, according to official data.

The sources said Pakistan has been strongly guarding the location of terrorist training camps following India's Balakot air strikes last year.

Indian war planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26 last year in response to Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed.

The Indian action reflected a doctrinal change in the country's approach in tackling cross border terrorism.

The sources said Pakistan's efforts to incite violence inside Kashmir valley and disrupt the lives of common citizens have proved "futile" as an increasing number of youths have surrendered to join the mainstream.

"Increasing number of misguided youth who were lured by the false narratives from Pakistan and joined terrorist tanzeems are surrendering to the security forces after concerted efforts were made to reach out to them through their parents, friends and relatives," according to a security official.

He said a revamped liberal policy of surrender and rehabilitation has encouraged militants to return to the national mainstream.

To mislead the international community and reduce signatures of Islamic identity of terrorists, the deep state has created new entities on the social media, the sources, adding the endeavour is to somehow catch the imagination of the youth and arm them. Apparently, these groups are unknown to people of Kashmir, they said.

Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in the region, Pakistan has been resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push militants into Kashmir.

Pakistani hostilities increased after India announced its decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide the state into two union territories in August last year.

With inputs from PTI