Govt’s reply in Parliament indicate surgical strikes carried out several times

New Delhi, July 19: Pre-emptive strikes on terror launch pads along the Line of Control are carried out as and when required, the Parliament was informed.

The statement was made in response to a question on the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army against Pakistan in the past 15 years.

Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre said in a written reply, "Based on specific and credible inputs about terrorist teams having positioned themselves at launch pads along the LoC to carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other States, the Indian Army carries out operations to pre-empt infiltration by terrorists, as and when required."

The answer while indirectly referring that there have been several such surgical strikes, however did not specify the exact numbers.

In September 2016, post the Uri attack, the Army had launched a surgical strike on terror launch pads along the Line of Control. The government said that considerable damage had been caused due to the strike, which was aimed at decimating terror camps along the border.