Pune: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said he had planned the strike inside Myanmar and soldiers were on their way, before the government could ask the Army if it has any ‘plans’ after 18 soldiers were killed in an ambush by militants in Manipur in 2015. The strike was necessary to raise the morale of the unit and to teach a lesson to militants.
The General said a surgical strike is not the only option and there are other ways to conduct operations inside enemy territory (referring to Pakistan).
The army chief vwas speaking during launch of a book ‘Securing India the Modi Way’, authored by eminent journalist Nitin Gokhale, at College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) on Friday. Former Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, Lt General DR Soni, GOC-in-C, Southern Command, Prashant Girbane, Director of Pune International Centre (PIC), were present on the occasion, which was attended by a large number of veterans and civilians.
“The militants observe movements of battalions during induction and deinduction. The ambush was during one such movement when troops were moving out. There was some laxity on part of the soldiers. We suffered heavy casualties. The message had to be sent across. The insurgents had come from across the Myanmar border. There was no other option, but to plan the operation to go and strike at their camp. The Army Chief and the National Security Advisor (NSA) spoke to me and said if I have any plans. I was taken aback as I had already launched the operation. They were on their way. They said what! They asked me to hold them back and wanted to know the details. We called them back. The officer who was leading briefed them and then after a delay of four days we launched the operation,” the General recalled. He was then posted as General Officer Commanding of Dimapur-based 3 Corps.
A bilateral agreement with Myanmar allows free movement of people from the two countries within 16 km of the border. In the past insurgents attacked soldiers and moved back in Myanmar where they have camps.
Myanmar surgical strike
Gen Rawat added, “The troops from 21 Para Special Forces got dressed as 12 Bihar Regiment troops who were on the borders. They didn’t know about the strike and were told they have to guard the posts as there was some information that the posts will be attacked. Only the team leader (a Lt Col) and his deputy knew the details. They informed the troops only two hours before they moved inside Myanmar. We had not thought of what if civilians were found on the way. And it happened that three hunters with their five dogs were found and they had to be tied as the troops were not carrying morphine, which could have made them sleep for six hours by which time operation would have been over. So a small team was left to guard them so that no information is leaked out. By the time troops reached the camp it was 5 am and the insurgents had gathered for breakfast. The sentry posts were left. The troops first occupied them and then they raided the dining hall and that’s why there were heavy losses on part of insurgents.”
Strikes in Pakistan earlier also
When asked by Gokhale if Myanmar operation helped in planning the surgical strike in Pakistan in 2016, when Gen Rawat was Army vice chief, he said such operations were done earlier also.
Gen Rawat added, “Myanmar-like operations have happened earlier also. Shallow operations, BAT actions in Jammu and Kashmir on the frontlines. We have been doing it everywhere. But the surgical strike (in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) was a bigger operation. The government owned it and announced it proudly.”
Why book titled ‘Securing India the Modi Way’?
The author said, “I have about two decades of defence reporting and have seen things closely how government functions at the top level. This government is taking fresh decisions and has brought synergy between military, bureaucrats and politicians. Therefore, I named it ‘Securing India the Modi Way’.”
Infra on China border beefed up
Gen Rawat said infrastructure is being beefed up along China border at a fast pace. Many advance landing grounds have come up. Ammunition stores, troops movement and modernisation of weapons are being done.
