New Delhi: Indian Army’s director-general of military operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt told his Pakistani counterpart on Monday that Pakistan Army’s support to terrorism is unacceptable and India will continue to take all retaliatory measures to respond to such acts.
Responding to Pak DGMO Maj. Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza’s accusation on the telephonic hotline that the Indian security forces was resorting to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC), Lt. Gen. Bhatt said the support provided to the terrorists by the Pakistan Army was the prime reason for any “collateral damage”.
The Indian DGMO reiterated that armed terrorists infiltrate from Pakistan, cross the LoC and target Indian Army posts with heavy calibre weapons.
“Pakistan Army has employed civilians at the forward posts and accorded permission for permanent locations of civilians in the vicinity of Pakistan Army posts,” the Army said, adding that these ci-vilians have repeatedly be-en used for gaining information of locations of Indian troops and providing guides to the terrorists while crossing the LoC.
The telephonic conversation was requested by the Pakistani side.
“He reiterated that this support to terrorism by the Pakistan Army is unacceptable and the Indian Army will continue to take all retaliatory measures as well as retain the right to punitively respond to such provocative acts of aggression from the Pakistani side,” an Army statement said.
It said Lt. Gen. Bhatt also clarified that the Indian Army always maintains impeccable standards of professionalism and does not target civilians.
“On the contrary, Paki-stan Army has employed civilians at the forward posts and accorded permi-ssion for permanent locations of civilians in the vicinity of Pakistan Army posts,” the Army said.
It said that these civilians have repeatedly been used for gaining information of locations of Indian troops and providing guides to the terrorists while crossing the LoC.
The LoC in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a spurt in ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops and the Indian Army has been retaliating effectively to Pakistani actions.
