Surgical, airstrike not easy choices for want of shock & awe, in wake of foul weather
The security establishment in India is mulling over options to avenge the killing of 44 CRPF personnel in a suicide attack in Pulwama on Thursday. The Services Chiefs briefed the political leadership on Friday about their preparedness to carry out any punitive strikes. The options include cross-border raids or surgical strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), air strikes to destroy camps of well-known terror outfits, or something more “deterring”.
However, none of these options are easy for want of element of surprise, and inclement weather conditions.
Determined to punish the perpetrators, officials said the Government has also not ruled out opting for an unconventional response which may not entail using military option. These options could include intelligence-based action which may be covert in nature. Also, the retaliation by India may not come soon as the decision makers will weigh all consequences before launching any punitive action, officials said.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took stock of the situation in the wake of the attack and options to be exercised, sources said. Modi later said in a public rally here that the security forces were given a free hand for the job at a place and timing of their choosing.
Elaborating upon various alternatives, sources in the security establishment said while surgical strikes by the elite Special Forces are on the table, it may be difficult at this point of time due to inclement weather along the Line of Control (LoC). Most of the mountain passes are snow-bound, making movement of commandoes to carry out any operation across the LoC difficult. If helicopters are used to drop the commandos close to the LoC, the Pakistan Army will be immediately alerted, they said.
Officials also admitted that surprise element as regards surgical strikes this time unlike two years back is not there, and the Pakistan Army will be fully geared to thwart any such move. The Pakistan Army is now deployed in full strength along the LoC and swift raids by the Indians may not be productive, they added.
On using air power, be it helicopters or fighter jets, to take out terrorist camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Muridke in POK, officials said — India has the weapons and capability such an action across the border — may be construed as an act of war and also lead to escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan.
Taking these factors into consideration, the Government decided to move step by step and immediately try to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and withdrawing the Most Favoured Nation status on Friday. More diplomatic actions in the coming days were not ruled out, sources said.
