Indian Army strikes as they unfolded across Line of Control
At midnight, 25 dauntless Indian commandos boarded a Dhruv-advanced light helicopter from Poonch and landed on a deserted terrain of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, across the LoC and carried out surgical strikes there.
In Short
- Two Pak soldiers were also killed in Indian strikes along with terrorists.
- Commandos of the 4 and 9 Paras crawled 3 kilometres inside PoK: Army.
- PM Modi was regularly briefed about the progress of the operation.
At midnight, 25 dauntless Indian commandos boarded a Dhruv-advanced light helicopter from Poonch and landed on a deserted terrain of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, across the military Line of Control.
Danger lurked around. Pakistan's army was in a state of heightened alert.
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But the warriors of India's elite Special Forces were fearless. The indomitable commandos of the 4 and 9 Paras crawled and slithered almost 3 kilometres inside PoK, top Army sources told India Today.
RAW and the military intelligence have been keeping a sharp eye on terror launchpads and movements of militants across the LoC for almost a week now, the sources said.
SIX CAMPS POTENTIAL TARGETS
Six camps were identified as potential targets.
Armed with M4 assault rifles, grenades, smoke bombs, UBGLs, night-vision devices and helmet cameras, Indian commandos struck the bull's eye with precision, highly-placed military officials said.
They mounted grenade attacks on target camps followed by a volley of smoke bombs and heavy firing.
Before long, as many as 38 terrorists were killed. Two Pakistani soldiers also died in Indian strikes, Indian Army sources said.
ARMY OPERATION ENDS AT 4.30 AM
The commandos wrapped up their operation by 4.30 am, according to sources.
Preparedness for the Special Forces' cross-LoC action was under way at the Army headquarters in Delhi, hours before it began from Poonch.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag supervised its strategic execution at the Army's top-secret nerve centre, also called the war room, in Delhi's South Block, most senior officials told India Today.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was regularly briefed about the progress of the operation.
INDIA BRIEFS US
Overnight, Doval also briefed his US counterpart Susan Rice about the development, sources said.
Meanwhile, Indian security forces have been put on a high alert. Authorities have suspended leaves of BSF troopers and Army personnel.
Villages along western borders in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir are being evacuated as a precautionary measure, according to officials.