India claims ‘surgical strikes’ on terrorists in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir

NEW DELHI — India said yesterday it had conducted “surgical strikes” on terrorist camps just across the border in Pakistan, making its first direct military response to an attack on an army base it blames on Islamabad in the biggest military escalation between the two neighbours since a standoff in 1999.

Heavy casualties were inflicted in the strikes late on Wednesday on militants assembled to infiltrate India, Director-General of Military Operations Ranbir Singh said in a briefing in New Delhi. The operations have ended and no more are planned, he said, without elaborating.

Pakistan said two of its soldiers had died in exchanges of fire and nine of its soldiers had also been wounded during efforts to repulse Indian troops, but rebuffed India’s announcement, calling the claim of surgical strikes an “illusion”.

“There has been no surgical strike by India, instead there had been cross-border fire initiated and conducted by India,” said a Pakistani military spokesman. In a statement, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said: “If India tries to do this again, we will respond forcefully.”

Much was unclear about the nature of the Indian operation. But if India’s infantry or air force did cross the de facto border known as the Line of Control to attack Pakistani positions, it would have broken precedent.

Even during the brief conflict in Kargil in 1999, India’s military did not declare that it had crossed the Line of Control, apparently wary that such a step would lead to a dangerous escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The announcement suggested that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India was less concerned about that risk.

“They think that the escalation ceiling, beyond which Pakistan will be forced to respond, is higher than previously assessed, and therefore they are willing to do more than India has done previously,” said Mr Ashok Malik, a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a policy organisation based in New Delhi.

The news sent tremors through Indian markets, with the country’s benchmark stock index, the Sensex, plunging 1.6 per cent after falling as much 2.1 per cent to its lowest since Aug 29, while Pakistan’s benchmark 100-share index was down 0.12 per cent.

“There will be repercussions,” added Mr C Raja Mohan, director at the Carnegie India think-tank in New Delhi. “The management of the repercussions will be the next challenge.”

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned what he called India’s “unprovoked and naked aggression” and called a Cabinet meeting today to discuss further steps, while Mr Modi chaired a meeting yesterday of his Cabinet committee on security to be briefed on the operation.

“The Prime Minister is clear that this is exactly what we should have done,” said a senior government official. “Informing the world about the surgical strike was important today.”

The Indian announcement followed through on Mr Modi’s warning that those responsible “would not go unpunished” for a Sept 18 attack on an Indian army base at Uri, near the frontier, that killed 18 soldiers.

Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full, but govern separate parts, and have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. Tension between the South Asian rivals has been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in Kashmir following the killing by security forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July.

Earlier this week, Mr Asif issued a veiled threat that Islamabad would unleash nuclear weapons against India for its own “protection”. “We haven’t kept the devices that we have just as showpieces,” Mr Asif told Samaa, a Pakistani private satellite TV channel. “But if our safety is threatened, we will annihilate them (India).”

On Wednesday, tensions spiked after Mr Modi cancelled his visit to a summit in Islamabad. AGENCIES