NEW DELHI: Under pressure from multiple quarters, the Indian Army is quietly repositioning itself on the forward locations. Officers, who are privy to the development, told The Sunday Standard that one complete brigade from Udhampur is moving to forward locations along with several other reserve battalions from Jammu.
Besides movement of infantry brigades, multiple teams of elite Special Forces (SF) are camping at strategic locations. Sources claim that troops from commando units like 2, 4 and 9 Para SF are gearing up on the Line of Control (LoC), as they are trained in unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance and to carry out cross-border surgical strikes.
Hours after the deadly attack at Uri, Director General Military Operations Lt. General Ranbir Singh made it clear by saying that the Army reserves the right to respond “at the time and place of our own choosing”, and added that it has the desired capability.
Sources in the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, which controls the major area along the LoC, say instructions have been issued to all divisions and brigades to be on the highest state of alert. Lt. Gen. S K Dua, 15 Corps Commander from the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment, has been making frequent visits to forward locations on the border to oversee the troops movement.
The NDA government has declared that the policy of strategic restraint is now over and that more proactive measures need to be taken against Pakistan. “We have directed local commanders to take strongest possible action to handle any infiltration bid on the border. Response to any attempt from across border should be responded with full power,” said an official.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met three Service Chiefs at his residence on Saturday morning to discuss the situation emerged after the “cowardly act” of Uri attack. This was the sixth meeting of the PM with heads of the armed forces along with National Security Advisor and chiefs of intelligence agencies after the last Sunday’s attack.
War Room in the South Block is also busy with hectic developments over the last six days, as several rounds of meetings are taking place with top Generals of the Army. Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D S Hooda was in New Delhi to brief the Army chief and NSA over the deployment pattern on the LoC.