Attack on Army camp in Jammu: It's time India teaches Pakistan a hard lesson
Pakistan's madness has led to a perpetual threat of terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Unless Pakistan walks the talk, attacks like the one at Sunjuwan in Jammu cannot be completely avoided. Five soldiers and one civilian lost their lives on Saturday, February 11, in the military operation to flush out terrorists holed up near the residential quarters inside the Sunjuwan Army camp in Jammu.
Four terrorists were also gunned down by the security forces. The terrorists had struck before dawn and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear side of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry.
The attack on Army's residential complex bears the stamp of Pakistan-based militant organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which had also plotted the attack on Pathankot airbase.
Despite knowing about JeM's involvement in the Pathankot attack, Pakistan has not only protected terrorist outfits but also persuaded its "big brother" China to defend them. On its part, China too did not hesitate to show shamelessness. Apart from JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and many other terrorist organisations are flourishing because India has managed to put pressure on Pakistan only to a limited extent.
After the surgical strike, India did not take any concrete action against Pakistan either at the military level or at the diplomatic level. Neither did anything happen to the Indus Water Treaty nor to the Most Favoured Nation status given to Pakistan.
In the national security adviser level dialogue with Pakistan, India clarified that terrorism and peace talks cannot be pursued simultaneously. What is to be inferred from this? If talks on terrorism are on then why is there a continuation of ceasefire violations and increasing terror attacks in Kashmir?
Even as the Indian Army continued to battle the JeM fidayeens in Sunjuwan, Pakistan Army opened another front and shelled Indian forward positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) killing a woman in Pukherni area of Rajouri district. This fresh ceasefire violation came just two days after another woman was killed and three Army jawans were injured when Pakistan Army fired indiscriminately in Mankote sector of Poonch district.
The fresh violation of ceasefire comes seven days after Pakistan Army killed four soldiers including a captain and injured another on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri district of Jammu division.Ceasefire violations are at an all-time high this year. January 2018 has recorded the highest number of ceasefire violations ever since the 2003 agreement with 240 violations. Ceasefire violations have been steadily rising over the past three years. In 2015, there were 400 violations, while in 2016 there were 449, and in 2017, it went to a record level of 868.
A total of 19 people, including 10 security personnel and nine civilians, were killed and over 75 injured in Pakistani shelling along the LoC and the international border in Jammu region this year.Pakistan, too, hit back at India and claimed that India had violated the ceasefire agreement more than 1,300 times in 2017. It seems that ceasefire violations have become a norm and the 2003 agreement is effectively dead.
Ceasefire violations by Pakistan
2011: 62
2012: 114
2013: 347
2014: 583
2015: 400
2016: 449
2017: 868
2018: 240
Security personnel killed in J&K
2011: 30
2012: 17
2013: 62
2014: 51
2015: 41
2016: 88
2017: 83
2018: 10
It is a matter of grave concern that the fidayeen attack on Sunjuwan Army camp bears resemblance to the attacks that have taken place earlier on other bases of security forces. LeT or JeM terrorists have come dressed in Army uniform and entered Army camps in the dark. On several occasions, it has been seen that the terrorists have taken advantage of inadequate supervision and weak fortification of military bases.
How long will it continue? It is true that it is difficult to prevent suicide squads from dying and killing, but for this, some concrete measures will have to be put in place so that they do not take advantage of the loopholes in the security of military bases. It is not at all acceptable that they repeatedly attack the Army and security forces in similar fashion.
That terrorists are also killed in the attack is no relief because our forces have to suffer huge damages in the skirmishes. It is clear that there is a dire need to think in a new way on the security front and take some concrete steps.
It is also necessary to teach Pakistan a lesson for exporting terror to Jammu and Kashmir and it is only possible when they are made to pay a heavy price for their acts. Pakistan has been successful in continuing the proxy war against India. India must ensure Pakistan is made to pay a price for this.