India's retaliatory surgical strikes after Uri attack turning point in its counter-terrorism strategy: Report

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) India's response to the 2016 Uri terror attack with retaliatory surgical strikes just 11 days later on terrorist infiltration bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) marked a decisive shift in the country's counter-terrorism approach, a report stated on Thursday.

For years, it said, New Delhi relied on diplomatic protests and military posturing in response to cross-border attacks, but the Uri attack altered that dynamic.

According to a report in 'Brighter Kashmir', through public acknowledgement and announcement of the surgical strikes, India demonstrated its intent to take a proactive stance, while exercising restraint to avoid sparking an open-ended conflict.

"Back home, the strikes validated public sentiment and reinforced the political consensus on safeguarding national security. Across the board, the Army's professionalism was as widely praised as the government's resolve. Abroad, despite Pakistan denying the incident, many countries secretly endorsed India's right to defend itself against cross-border terrorism," the report detailed.

"For Pakistan, the episode marked a serious setback. Even as Islamabad officially denied India's allegations, the strikes drew increased international criticism over its long-standing links to terrorists’ groups. Diplomatic isolation deepened: a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad failed to proceed after key members like India, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh withdrew, accusing Islamabad of supporting terrorism," it added.

On September 18, 2016, at around 5:30 am, four heavily armed terrorists infiltrated the army base near the Line of Control (LoC) and launched a pre-dawn assault on sleeping soldiers in temporary tents. The militants used grenades and incendiary rounds, sparking a massive fire that led to a series of explosions, killing 18 soldiers and injuring several. The attack, one of the deadliest on an Indian Army establishment in over 10 years, left the military and the entire nation in shock.

The report emphasised that the severity and audacity of the Uri attack drew worldwide attention, with leaders from the US, Russia, and the EU condemning the violence and offering condolences.

But for India, it said, Uri was more than an act of terror; it was a direct provocation demanding a strategic and landmark response.

The report stressed that there was overwhelming public sentiment across India for a strong response against the terror attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish the perpetrators of the attack, asserting that "the sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain."

“Eleven days after that warning, on September 29, 2016, India carried out what came to be called Surgical Strikes. Special forces commandos from the Indian Army's Paras (Parachute Regiment Special Forces) crossed the LoC under cover of darkness to attack terrorist infiltration bases in PoK," the report noted.

--IANS

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