All you need to know about Indian Army's surgical strike in PoK last night

As Indian Army's director general of militay operations Lt Gen Ranbir Singh announced that "surgical strikes" have been conducted across the Line of Control on the wee hours of Septemeber 29, the entire nation came together to jubilate this covert military operation which can be seen as avenging the September 18 Uri attack.

That this special operation marks a significant departure from India's previous stance of observing strategic restraint and not owning up any cross-border operation, goes without saying.

However, there are a number of takeaways from the fresh turn of events, with India's new "peace-time offensive" freshly inducted as part of the game.

Scale and precision

With the DGMO and news reports saying that at least 35 casualties on the Pakistani side have been confirmed, it appears that the strike has been quite massive. According to the DGMO, Indian Army's “counter terrorist operations, significant casualties have been caused to the terrorists and those who are trying to support them.

The operations aimed at neutralising the terrorists have since ceased. We do not have any plans for continuation of further operations.” Reports that about 100 soldiers are heli-dropped across the LoC and targeted about eight "terror launchpads" are further confirmation that India has upped the ante.

Talking about the op

Although cross-border raids by the Army have taken place before, this time it is different because the Indian Army has chosen to announce it with great fanfare on live television. Evidently, this is aimed at sending both Pakistan a message as well as letting Indian citizens have a collective vent after the Uri attack.

Pakistan's denial

Pakistan has both "condemned" the attack as "naked aggression" on the Indian side as well as dismissed it as mere cross-border firing in which two Pakistani soldiers were killed. Both Pak PM Nawaz Sharif as well as Pak defence minister issued condemnations of the Indian strike, but Pakistani media as well as the Inter-Services Intelligence have kept a low key, saying Indian Army is blowing mere "artillery fire" out of proportion.  

Days of planning

The Indian Army op does not look like an ad hoc operation, but something that must have been planned in the wake of Uri attack. However, that it happened almost 10 days after the Uri tragedy could only be attributed to the fact that India wanted to wait until minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj made her pitch to isolate Pakistan as a "state sponsor of terror" at the UNGA.

That diplomatic offensive when compounded with India's willingness to opt for military retaliation ensured that the interim talk of "strategic restraint" was just a deflection technique to lower Pakistan's guard.

United States on board

Although hardly comparable to the Operation Geronimo that the US Navy Seals carried out to kill Osama bin laden in Abbottabad, this pre-emptive strike evidently had Washington's blessings. US National Security Advisor Susan Rice's late night telephone call with Indian NSA Ajit Doval is just one indication of the American nod. In addition, a White House petition to declare Pakistan a "terrorist state" has gathered over 2 lakh signatures. Rice has also issued a stern message for Islamabad to scale back its terror-related activities.

Raheel Sharif

Pakistan Army is due for a change of guard and it's unsure if current COAS Raheel Sharif will get an extension or a second term. Will he retire with a besmirched record of the September 29 washout at the hands of Indian Army? That Pakistan is busy denying the strikes even took place might mitigate the media, but equations within Rawalpindi may change significantly as Pakistan's military-terror complex may be baying for India's blood.

India's border states

Situation is likely to remain very tense in the border states, such as Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab, which share the LoC and international border with Pakistan. Already, hospitals in Pathankot have had their emergency wards cleared in case of contingencies. Evacuation of villages and towns close to the border is either underway or may be undertaken soon. This means India is getting ready and is pretty much expecting an escalation.

What the experts say:

Siddharth Varadaran: "In legal terms, India has cast the strikes as pre-emptive self-defence in the face of an imminent attack by terrorists across the LoC, set against the background of Pakistan’s refusal to act against these groups despite have an obligation to do so. Pre-emptive self-defence is a controversial concept in international law. Over the years, however, in the context of the US-led war against terrorism, there is hardly any state that can or will criticise India for invoking it."

Shiv Aroor: "The so-called red lines that could spark a nuclear response from Pakistan have been tantalisingly and visibly quaked. While Pakistan's response is still awaited, India has demonstrated the possibility of military action well under the threshold of conventional attack. It forces Pakistan to rethink and perhaps recalibrate its response routine."

Prashant Jha: "While Delhi expects some escalation in clashes on the LoC, the fact that Pakistan is underplaying the strike indicates that it will not retaliate beyond a point."

Mohan Guruswamy: "I congratulate the government for striking back at POK based terrorist camps and for finally reassuring the nation that cross border attacks cannot keep escaping commensurate costs. Good show."

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