Surgical Strike 2016 – How Indian Responded to the Uri Attack

Bhavna Veerwani

5 years ago

How’s the Josh?- High Sir!..

Most of us have heard this surgical strike motto in the famous Vicky Kaushal starrer movie- Uri. The 2016 Line of Control Strike was in response to the Uri Attack, where four terrorists entered the military camps based at Uri and killed nineteen soldiers. The cowardly act raised public tensions across the nation, demanding a quick action from the Modi-led Indian Government. The act was reported as “the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir in two decades”. After this attack, the Indian Army was desperately waiting for orders from the authority for a counter-attack to avenge the death of the fellow soldiers, “at the time and place of our choosing”. Let us explore what is the surgical strike all about, which happened four years back on September 29, 2016.

What we will get to know in the article?

Some Facts about the 2016 Line of Control Strike
Uri Attack- A Background Check
How did India respond to the attack?
Details of the Surgical Strike
What happened after the Surgical Strike?
Wrapping Up

Some Facts about the 2016 Line of Control Strike

Date: September 28-29, 2016
Place: Line of Control

Uri Attack: A Background Check

Four heavily armed terrorists attacked an army base camp at a town near Uri on September 18, 2016.
The militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, was responsible for executing the attack.
The killing of Burhan Wani, a terrorist leader had pushed Kashmir in a state of unrest when the youth of the valley protested violently against the Indian Government. These protests were the largest ‘ anti-Indian protests’ against the Indian Government in recent years.
The attack was made in the early hours of September 18, where the militants entered the camp breaching high security. They casted about seventeen grenades at the camps in three minutes. Seventeen army officers were martyred in the camps which caught fires.
After the attack, the army officers were engaged in a counter fire attack which continued for six-hour. All four terrorists were killed.
Security in Kashmir was questioned after the attack. The army was placed on high alert at the border after the incident.
The attack was condemned by the Modi led government, and the Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had come to a common conclusion, of taking a firm action against the terrorist group, supposedly supported by Pakistan.

How did India respond to the attack?

The National Security Agency took charge of the investigation from the Jammu and Kashmir police on September 20, 2016.
India also announced to withdraw from the nineteenth SAARC summit supposed to be held in November 2016, in Islamabad, Pakistan stating security concerns.
Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh also pulled back from the summit, later and the summit was postponed by Pakistan on September 30, 2016.
Indian citizens demanded justice for those martyred and injured. The Indian Motions Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) banned Pakistani artists and technicians from working in the Indian film industry.
In the wake of the attack, the BCCI approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) not to schedule any match against Pakistan stating border tensions as a cause of concern.
The Badminton Association of India also boycotted the Pakistan International Series to be held in October 2016 in Islamabad, Pakistan.
A surgical strike on ‘launch pads’ of the militants based in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) was conducted on September 28, 2016.

Let us dive into the attack details

Eleven days after the Uri attack, India announced Surgical strikes to destroy the terrorist infrastructure on September 29, 2016.
India claimed to receive strong intelligence of terrorist action in future, responding to which surgical strikes were made as a self- defence against terrorism.
The surgical strike was planned by the top military brass in coordination with political leadership.
The ground planning was conducted by the Army’s Northern Command in Udhampur
As reported by the Indian officials, the strikes claimed to have killed 35-50 militants.
On September 30, Rajvardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of Information broadcasting confirmed that no helicopters were used in the operation.
Pakistan denied any surgical strike, and agreed to cross-border firing as “unprovoked and naked expression of Indian Forces”, as quoted by the Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif.
To ensure the safety of the residents of the sensitive area (within ten kilometres of the border), ten thousand residents were evacuated.
Security was put on high alert at the Line of Control.
Many countries showed support to the military attack conducted by the Indian army against terrorism. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Germany, Russia, the US, directly and indirectly, appreciated the firm action of the Indian Government.

Wrapping Up

Despite increasing education, better employment opportunities and living conditions these terror attacks occur. The youths are brainwashed and misguided by terrorist organizations to participate in such violent exhibitions of power. The world has come together to put an end towards terrorism, but it seems that these efforts are not enough.