Surgical strikes, Balakot hit sent strong message to Pakistan: Gen Naravane

New Delhi, Jan 04: Even as Pakistan based terrorists continue to make infiltration attempts, the Valley has been witnessing peace, Army Chief General Mukund Naravane said.

He said that peace was returning to the Valley after Article 370 was abrogated by the Government of India on August 5, 2019.

He said that terror activity and stone-pelting has reduced drastically and the law and order situation would improve further. He also said that nearly 250 terrorists are waiting to cross over, but the Indian Army is thwarting such attempts.

He also said that the surgical strikes of 2016 on terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir had sent a strong message that India can take down terror infrastructure. He also said that the Balakot airstrikes too had sent out a similar message.

When asked on the Balakot terror facility being re-activated, he said that during the war when a target is destroyed, it is later reconstructed. We destroyed it, they have re-activated it. They will show restraint before taking any escalatory action, he also added.

On nuclear weapons, he said that they have been a good deterrence. That is where their role ends. We have taken action on two or three occasions, where we carried out operations without letting the nuclear portion come into play, the General also said.