Islamabad - Rubbishing the Indian military’s claim of carrying out a ‘surgical strike’ in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan Army made it clear that it will respond strongly to any misadventure.
In a statement, ISPR said the Indian troops committed a ceasefire violation by resorting to unprovoked firing at some border points, which was responded effectively. He confirmed that two soldiers were martyred in Indian mortar shelling.
Earlier, at a much-flashed news briefing in New Delhi, DGMO Lt-Gen Ranbir Singh claimed that Indian Special Forces had crossed into AJK and conducted ‘surgical strikes at terror launch-pads’, causing significant casualties to the ‘terrorists and those who are trying to support them (Pakistani soldiers)’.
The trade of border fire occurred in the Bhimber, Hot Spring and Lipa sectors. The martyred soldiers were Havildar Jumma Khan and Naik Imtiaz Ahmed.
ISPR DG Lt-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa called it a pack of lies, saying India was trying to mislead its public by making false claims about surgical strikes.
“Pakistani Armed Forces are fully prepared and India will have to face consequences of any misadventure,” he warned.
General Bajwa said the entire world community knows what India is doing against innocent people in Occupied Kashmir.
Indian DGMO in his news briefing claimed that “some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launchpads along the Line of Control... The operations aimed at neutralising the terrorists have since ceased.”
Claiming that ‘dozens of terrorists and their backers’ had been killed in the operation, Lt-Gen Ranbir Singh said that the surgical strikes will not continue.
General Bajwa said the notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorist bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by Indian to create false effects.
“This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by re-branding cross-border fire as surgical strike is fabrication of truth,” the statement said.
“Pakistan has made it clear that if there is a surgical strike on Pakistani soil, same will be strongly responded.”
A PAF spokesperson also rejected the Indian claim of surgical strike, saying there has been no aerial intrusion into Pakistani territory from the Indian side.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also said Indian claims of surgical strikes were a lie, adding small firearms were used during the skirmish across the LoC and Pakistani forces responded in a befitting manner.
ISPR rejected the reports that an Indian soldier was captured by Pakistan who had crossed into Pakistani territory.