Surgical strikes: Was the hype needed, no says ex-Army officer part of operation
New Delhi, Dec 8: Two years after the surgical strike carried out by the Army across the Line of Control, Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda Friday said it was natural to have an initial euphoria over the success but the constant hype around the operation was unwarranted.
Gen Hooda was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strike were carried out on September 29, 2016 across the LoC as a response to a terrorist attack in Uri earlier that month.
The Army had said its special forces inflicted "significant casualties" on terrorists waiting there to cross into Indian territory.
Gen Hooda was speaking during a panel discussion on the topic, 'Role of Cross-Border Operations and Surgical Strikes,' on the first day of Military Literature Festival 2018 here.
The discussion was attended by Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore amongst a battery of former Generals and Army Commanders. Many war veterans cautioned against "politicisation" ofthe military operations, as per a Punjab government release.
Lt Gen Hooda said it was naturalto have initial euphoria about the success but the constantmaintenance of hype around the military operations wasunwarranted, the release said.
Responding to a question from the audience, General Hoodasaid in hindsight, it would have been better had we done it (surgical strikes) secretly. The aim of any such offensive had to be not only tactical but strategic too, which substantially hampers enemy morale,he said.
Citing the example of the 1981 Israeli air strikes onIraqi nuclear sites, which had caused considerable damage, Lt General (retd) N S Brar underscored the need to ensure long-term impact on the enemy before undertaking any such operation in the future.
Cautioning the political masters against being adventurists, General Brar asked if the political masters would have taken responsibility had there been any causalities in the strike, the release said quoting him.
Earlier, a two minute silence was observed in the memory of the brave soldiers who laid down their lives in the service of the nation.
Punjab
Governor
and
Chandigarh
AdministratorV
P
Singh
Badnore
inaugurated
the
MLF.
Notably,
MLF,
which
is
into
its
second
edition
this
year,is
organised
to
raise
awareness
among
people
about
the
legacy
of
the
armed
forces,
and
rekindle
among
youth
the
motivating
spirit
to
join
the
Indian
Army.