The deadly attack on the Uri garrison on September 18 nine years ago marked the end of India's policy against crossing the Line of Control to target Pakistan-based terrorists.
It paved the way for the Balakot air strikes in 2019 and Operation Sindoor this year.
At 5:30 am on September 18, 2016, the Indian Army garrison in Uri near the Line of Control was attacked by four terrorists from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group.
18 soldiers were killed when the terrorists set ablaze a petrol depot located near the transit tents when the soldiers were asleep in the wee hours of a Sunday morning.
This was the deadliest terror attack on the Indian military in nearly two decades.
The scale and nature of the attack shocked the nation.
It was the first major attack during Narendra Modi's first term as prime minister and came eight months after four terrorists attacked the Pathankot air force base where three security personnel lost their lives.
The Uri attack compelled India to revise its rules of engagement, signalling an end to its earlier policy of not crossing the Line of Control to target and eliminate Pakistan-based terrorists.
India did not cross the LoC even during the Kargil conflict in 1999.
But Uri marked a turning point in India's response to terror -- a shift from restraint to punitive action.
Just eleven days after the Uri attack, on the night of September 28-29, the Indian Army's Special Forces carried out Surgical Strikes on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
The fact that the strikes were carried out was revealed at a press conference the following day -- a move without precedent in India's handling of cross-border military operations.
Lieutenant General Satish Dua, commander, 15 Corps at that time, later revealed that then defence minister Manohar Parrikar visited the camp that afternoon along with then army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and gave the clearance for the surgical strikes.
The surgical strikes sent a clear message: India's response to terrorist attacks will not only be defensive, it will also involve taking action across the border -- and a strong and determined nation must demonstrate its capabilities.
The strikes were a morale booster for soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir and across the country.
It set the stage for Operation Balakot in 2019 and Operation Sindoor in 2025.
The film Uri, the Surgical Strikes based on the Uri attack and India's retaliation is one of India's highest grossing movies.
19 soldiers who conducted the surgical strikes were awarded gallantry medals.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff