Indian Army's attack on Naga rebels no surgical strike, force did not cross the border

The attack on the Naga rebels by the Indian Army along the Indo-Myanmar border was not a surgical strike. Here is why.

IndiaToday.in  | Written by Vivek Surendran
New Delhi, September 27, 2017 | UPDATED 16:52 IST
Indian Army denies denies surgical strike along Indo-Myanmar borderIndian Army denies denies surgical strike along Indo-Myanmar border

Indian Army's Eastern Command released information on Twitter about a powerful attack carried out on the Naga rebels along the Indo-Myanmar border in retaliation to an attack by National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN(K)) insurgents.

The Army's statement said, "As per inputs, a large number of casualties were suffered by the insurgents," and clarified that the reports of casualties to Indian Army are incorrect.

The operation was, however, not a surgical strike, Army said.

WHAT IS A SURGICAL STRIKE?

A surgical strike is a military attack in which the army inflicts damage only to the intended target, with minimum collateral damage to property (buildings, structures, vehicles etc.) or harming public infrastructure. Cross-border surgical strike is when the army enters the enemy territory, hits the target with precision, and returns.

WHY IS THE EASTERN COMMAND'S ATTACK ON NAGA INSURGENTS NOT A SURGICAL STRIKE LIKE THAT OF 2016?

The Indian Army's Eastern Command, in its statement, specified that the attack on the Naga rebels was in retaliation to firing from unidentified NSCN(K) insurgents. The Eastern Command also specified that our troops did not cross the international border.

On September 28, 2016, eight teams of the Indian Army conducted a surgical strike to eliminate the terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LOC). Thirty Indian commandos, armed with Kalashnikovs, Tavors, rocket-propelled guns and thermobaric weapons deploy parachutes, avenged the terrorist attack on the administrative station of the Indian Army's 12 Brigade at Uri, killing 19 soldiers, by a Jaish-e-Mohammad fidayeen group on September 18. 

In 2015, the Indian Army carried out a surgical strike inside Myanmar by a crack team of at least 70 commandos. They finished the operation within 40 minutes, leaving 38 Naga insurgents dead and seven injured.

The decision to carry out this surgical strike was taken hours after the Naga insurgents killed 18 soldiers in an ambush in Chandel area of Manipur on June 4. The clearance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi was obtained on the night of June 7, soon after his return from Bangladesh, said sources privy to the details.

The commandos of 21 Para, equipped with assault rifles, rocket launchers, grenades and night vision goggles, were airdropped at around 3 am from Dhruv helicopters, just inside the Indian territory near the border with Myanmar, security sources said, reported PTI.