India launches strikes on suspected militants in Pakistan

India has conducted “surgical strikes” on suspected militants in Pakistan it suspects of preparing to infiltrate into the part of Kashmir it controls, the army’s director general of military operations said on Thursday.

Lt General Ranbir Singh told reporters the strikes were launched on Wednesday based on “very specific and credible information that some terrorist units had positioned themselves to infiltrate”.

Singh said the strikes had caused significant casualties, and that he had he had called his Pakistani counterpart to inform him of the operation.

An army source said that the strikes were launched across the Line of Control, or de facto border between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to discuss the situation at the Line of Control. Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Manohar Parrikar and other senior ministers were present at the meeting. 

The meeting is understood to have discussed various options related to the Line of Control (LoC) in the wake of the Uri attack. 

The meeting is also understood to have taken stock of ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts. 

Four terrorists had stormed an army camp in Uri on September 18 and killed 18 soldiers.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army along the LoC. 

News agency ANI quoted him as saying, “We condemn this attack, our desire for peace should not be interpreted as our weakness”.

“We are ready for the safety and defence of our country,” said Nawaz Sharif.
“Strongly condemned the unprovoked and naked aggression of Indian forces resulting in martyrdom of two Pakistan soldiers along LoC,” the Pakistan PM added.

-Agencies