Surgical strikes: India must now remain a step ahead of Pakistan

By Syed Ata Hasnain

The level of credibility is high and the overall information handling on display has been of a higher order, a healthy departure from the past. In the spectrum of military options available to the Army this was the most plausible and most expected.

Multiple strikes instead of just one or two has added to the weight of the response. Selection of this response is sensible from the angle of escalation control as it is well within the threshold of perceived Pakistani red lines, not that they matter in a case of extreme national pride. Yet as a responsible and respected member of the international community India has correctly factored the threshold factor in its response. What is a surgical strike in military terms? Doubts are arising in the public space on the meaning of this term. For a change there is nothing metaphorical; it's purely literal. A surgeon's challenge is to keep the good tissues and remove the bad.Similarly, trained troops rapidly move into enemy territory and head for a selected objective to target it and are not diverted by any other opportunities that may arise until the identified objective is neutralised.

It can be done silently or with support of precision strikes by long-range weapons. Where surprise is of importance such weapons remain on standby to support if surprise is lost and during extrication.A fire assault by long range indirect firing weapons, on a selected objective without a ground incursion, may not construe a surgical strike in the subcontinental context.In the US context the use of remote-controlled armed drones could construe a surgical strike. This issue will be debated long hereafter.

Also read: Detailed coverage of surgical strikes

As a practitioner one can assess that ground incursions to a depth of maximum 3-4km must have been made. Deeper operations would require helicopter transportation where escalation is higher and the chances of sustaining heavy casualties are high. Intelligence on terrorist concentrations in the pre-winter season is usually available with the Army as it awaits a spurt in infiltration.This intelligence has been used for good measure.

Pakistan is thus far denying the strikes. That is a part of response strategy to obtain more time for assessment. Knowing the history of Indian response over many years the Pakistan establishment is probably surprised. However, the Indian public needs to be sensitive to the fact that the Pakistanis will respond and probably borrow a leaf from our concept -"time and place of their choosing". It will glove it under the garb of a terror strike by LeT or even the United Jehad Council. No location on the LoC will be hundred per-cent secure.

Right at the outset after Uri I said this is the hybrid form of conflict which has to be responded in the hybrid domain. As many diplomatic and economic measures can be taken in response, but without the military option the hybrid response does not get anywhere. The PM needs to be complimented for his decision and handling of the response. However, there will be much more to follow. The need to remain ahead of Pakistan in the decision, diplomatic and information loop cannot be over-emphasised.

Lt Gen Hasnain is a former Commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps