Soldiers’ mutilation: Indian army chief hints at ‘retaliatory action’

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday hinted at “retaliatory action” against Pakistan ─ which New Delhi blames for the killing and mutilation of Indian army soldiers across the Line of Control (LoC) earlier this week ─ despite Islamabad’s repeated rejection of the allegations.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event, Gen Rawat while referring to the earlier incident said, “When this kind of action takes place, we also carry out retaliatory action.”

“We do not talk about future plans beforehand. We share details after execution of the plan,” he said.

The Indian army has beefed up its counter-infiltration postures near the LoC, the Indian army chief said.

“Terrorists are trying to infiltrate. Snows are melting, summer months have started. Like each year, infiltration will commence. We are taking measures. We have beefed up our counter-infiltration postures.”

Earlier this week, the Indian army had alleged that Pakistani forces fired rockets and mortar bombs at two Indian posts across the LoC and mutilated the bodies of two soldiers on patrol. The allegation was strongly refuted by the Pakistan Army.

Vice Chief of Army Staff Sarath Chand earlier this week issued a similar statement in which he said the army would retaliate to the mutilation of its soldiers at “a time and place of its choosing”.

“They said today their forces have not done it. Then who has done it? They have done it and they have to take responsibility and face the consequences,” Chand had accused, disregarding Pakistan’s dismissal of the claims.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit was also summoned by the Indian foreign ministry to register a ‘strong protest’ against the mutilation of the soldiers.

According to India’s External Affairs spokesman Gopal Baglay, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar conveyed to Basit “outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation” of the soldiers.