[fuser]

India's army says it has carried out "surgical strikes" against suspected militants along the de-facto border with Pakistan in Kashmir.

The operation was aimed at preventing attacks being planned by Pakistan-based militants, a senior army official said.

He said "significant casualties have been caused to the terrorists and those who are trying to support them".

Pakistan denies India carried out any strikes and says two of its soldiers were killed in cross-border shelling.

"The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists' bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by India to create false effects," the Pakistani military said in a statement.

Pakistan said its soldiers died in "unprovoked" firing along the Line of Control dividing the disputed region.

A territorial dispute between the two countries over Muslim-majority Kashmir has been running for decades, but tensions flared earlier this month after a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir left 18 soldiers dead.

India blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied the claim.
What do we know about the 'strikes'?

India's military gave few details of the operation it says it carried out overnight.

At a joint press briefing by the army and the foreign ministry, officials said the "motive of the operation was to hit out at terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into our territory".

India's Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, also blamed Pakistan for "being unable to control terror activities in territories under its control".


"Based on receiving specific and credible inputs that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along the Line of Control to carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states, the Indian army conducted surgical strikes at several of these launch pads to pre-empt infiltration by terrorists," a statement said.

It said the "surgical strikes" had caused "significant damage to terrorists".

But the army did not say whether troops had entered Pakistan-administered Kashmir or had fired across the border.


However, the Press Trust of India quoted sources saying the operation took place between midnight and 04:30 local time on Thursday, that it was a combination of helicopter and ground forces, and seven militant "launch pads" had been targeted.

Some unconfirmed Indian media reports said more than 30 militants had been killed in the operation.

Pakistani army officials said the fighting started in the early hours of Thursday morning and continued for about six hours.

Indian army's anger over Kashmir killings
Why now?

Narendra Modi's BJP government swept to power promising a tough line on Pakistan, so it has been been under tremendous pressure to retaliate after the 18 September attack on the army base in Uri in Indian-administered Kashmir. The raid was the deadliest of its kind for years.
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Tensions have risen since a deadly militant attack on an Indian army base earlier this month

"I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished," Mr Modi declared just hours after the base was attacked.

There was also much talk of whether India should continue with its doctrine of "strategic restraint" against Pakistan.

A "strike" now is seen by many observers as aimed at placating an angry domestic constituency and sending out the message that Mr Modi is a strong leader.

What's behind Kashmir's deadliest militant raid in years?
What does Pakistan say?

The country's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, criticised the "unprovoked and naked aggression of Indian forces" and said his military was capable of thwarting "any evil design to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan".

Islamabad says India's stance is a "blatant attempt" to deflect attention from human rights abuses in the region.

More than 80 people, nearly all anti-government protesters, have died in more than two months of violence against Indian rule.
What about India? By Soutik Biswas

Many say jingoism and war-mongering are the twin obsessions of a growing and increasingly prosperous middle class in India, and the reaction to the latest attack is quite predictable.

#ModiPunishesPak was trending top of Twitter in India, hours after the media first reported "the strikes". The other top trending hashtags included #SurgicalStrike and #Indian Army. A Narendra Modi fan club account tweeted a clip from a Tom and Jerry cartoon film to show India spanking Pakistan.

Government supporters gushed that this was a "proud moment for India", with one Bollywood actor thanking the army for doing what India "should have done 30 years ago".

A clutch of news channels were waxing delirious on how India had taught Pakistan a lesson and speculated endlessly about the details of the operation.

Things were much more serious between the two nuclear-armed rivals, they say, after the 2001 attack by Pakistan-based militants on the Indian parliament but there was no social media then, and the calls to escalate the conflict were more muted.

Why India needs cool heads
Why is Kashmir so dangerous?

Both India and Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in its entirety but control only parts of it.

The territorial dispute between the two countries has been running for over six decades, and two out of the three wars fought between the nuclear-armed rivals have been over Kashmir.

As with every stand-off in Kashmir, the fear of many is that this could eventually escalate into a major clash between two nuclear-armed states.

But most analysts still believe that is unlikely to happen and that sporadic clashes and diplomatic sabre-rattling are likely to continue.

I am still not sure if they (Indian Army) actually did it or this government is just trying to appease the jingoist element inside the country that wholeheartedly supported her in the election campaigns.

But regardless, even though I dislike Pakistan and their role in the region, basically supporting (either directly or indirectly) worse of the worst reactionary fundamentalist forces, I cannot see this action (if it did happened) as rash and downright stupid. This region cannot afford escalation (although highly unlikely) of this conflict regardless of eventual winners, anyhow very tense weeks are coming up. India has already managed to cancel the SAARC meeting in Islamabad with support from Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Finally I will advise caution as this act cannot be said to be confirmed as per now, its one of the reason why I chose BBC as my source over any Indian or Pakistani media agency.

[Zionist Nationalist]

Pakistan are sponsoring terrorism they are one of the most backward and dangerous countries out there

I favor anything being done against this savage country

[Decky]

What would you like to see happen with Kashmir in the long run Fuser? Independence or something else?

[skinster]

Kashmiris should be given a vote on whether they want to remain in India, be a part of Pakistan's Azad Kashmir or become an independent state. They were promised a vote in the 90s but India never followed through with this. From what I read from Kashmiri activists, most despise the military occupation enforced upon them by India. As I suppose anyone would, who had to live under such brutality.

Pakistan are sponsoring terrorism they are one of the most backward and dangerous countries out there

Says he who lives and supports a state built on terrorism and ethnic cleansing.

[Zionist Nationalist]

a state built on terrorism and ethnic cleansing.

Thats perfectly describes how Pakistan was formed. just need to add genocide.

[fuser]

What would you like to see happen with Kashmir in the long run Fuser? Independence or something else?

A kashmiri SR will be perfect in long run. Anyhow I don't see any independence coming for Kashmir in near future, its just impossible unless hell breaks loose and all of the region goes in flame or something like that.

But yes as Skinster says the military rule is as brutal as it goes and must be opposed, AAFSPA (the act that gives military extra-judicial rights in Kashmir) must be revoked asap. Furthermore the constitutional guarantees given to Kashmir must be upheld rather than looking for loopholes.

That being said its also the truth that since 90s (with increased involvement of Pakistan) pro Independence movement in Kashmir has been completely taken over by reactionaries and I will absolutely oppose those kind of forces coming in power in the region, it was the influence of these powers that this state that has known no riots even during partition virtually forced deportations on her religious minority in this case hindus from the region.

They were promised a vote in the 90s but India never followed through with this.

In 40s actually soon after independence, when a war erupted after Tribal militia supported by Pakistani troops invaded Kashmir after its king a Hindu ruling over majority Muslim population decided to join Indian Union (although he would had preferred to go alone),its all a clusterfuck really. Both India and Pakistan were supposed to remove their troops from Kashmir before the vote but none did and no one is going to.



And this is why Nations shouldn't be created on the basis of religion.

[Political Interest]

And all of this could have been avoided seventy years ago if not for the stupidity of Jinnah and Mountbatten.

The partition of India was another special of the British elites.

[Zionist Nationalist]

And all of this could have been avoided seventy years ago if not for the stupidity of Jinnah and Mountbatten.

The partition of India was another special of the British elites.

a single would be even worse

the partition was inevitable

[fuser]

It wasn't inevitable.

Not even the leaders at the very last moment knew that it was inevitable, everyone virtually walked into partition blindfolded.

[Zionist Nationalist]

Im not saying it wasnt possible but having a large muslim miniority would cause civil wars and the country would split eventually

[ThirdTerm]

(CNN)Two Pakistani soldiers were killed after clashes with Indian troops in the disputed region of Kashmir, Pakistan's military said.
The Indian army said it had conducted "surgical attacks" across the de-facto border between the two countries to foil a "terrorist attack," according to India's Director General of Military Operations.
But Pakistan insisted that no incursion had taken place into the territory it controls, saying there had only been an exchange of fire. It promised a "forceful response" if there was a repeat of the operation.
India said it had acted to protect its citizens -- Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh told reporters on Thursday the strikes had been based on "specific credible information" that militants were planning to carry out strikes in Indian cities, including Jammu.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/29/homep ... l-strikes/

It looks like an unnecessary provocation by India. There is no al-Qaeda presence in the disputed territory of Kashmir and these Pakistani soldiers stationed in Kashmir are not terrorists. Pakistani terrorist groups which carried out strikes in Indian cities are concentrated in the Pakistan-Afghan border.

[fuser]

^Al-Qaeda? It has nothing to do with India, India is target of organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba etc, she has never faced any threat from Al-Qaeda and these organizations do have presence in Kashmir, both side of the border. But yeah, to me if true this strike was immature and foolish just to satisfy jingoist elements at home.

Im not saying it wasnt possible but having a large muslim miniority would cause civil wars and the country would split eventually

There's still a large Muslim minority.

[Albert]

I hope Pakistan and India nukes one another. What were Americans thinking giving them nukes in the first place.

[Zionist Nationalist]

^Al-Qaeda? It has nothing to do with India, India is target of organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba etc, she has never faced any threat from Al-Qaeda and these organizations do have presence in Kashmir, both side of the border. But yeah, to me if true this strike was immature and foolish just to satisfy jingoist elements at home.



There's still a large Muslim minority.

Yeah but having another 300+ million Muslim centralized in a specific region would make things worse than just having them all around the country

Islam cant coexist with other cultures.

Islam=problems

[Political Interest]

a single would be even worse

the partition was inevitable

They were a single nation prior to 1937. From that point on the artifical idea of Pakistan was manufactured among Indian Muslims.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League and the main activist behind the creation of Pakistan made an alliance with the British against the Indian National Congress. Pakistan was a tool of colonial elites to keep South Asia divided and weaken what they feared would be a pro-Soviet India.