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EXCLUSIVE: India Will Continue To Hit Pakistan, Says Chief Of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat

“Pakistan cannot think proxy war has no solution.”
File photo of Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
File photo of Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.

India will continue to hit Pakistan as long as it supports terror groups, terrorists or the unrest in the valley, Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat told HuffPost India on Tuesday.

Speaking exclusively to HuffPost India hours after the Army claimed that it had destroyed Pakistani Army positions across the Line of Control (LoC), General Rawat said, "Pakistan cannot think that a proxy war–-that of training and arming terrorists--has no solution. As long as he (Pakistan) continues, we will continue to hit them."

"Pakistan cannot think that a proxy war--that of training and arming terrorists--has no solution. As long as he (Pakistan) continues, we will continue to hit them."

The Indian Army, General Rawat said, "is not sitting idle." "Our message is clear, terrorism is not acceptable and we will go after terrorists," he added.

Pakistan should not think India is a weak nation and would allow Jammu and Kashmir be taken away by a proxy war, General Rawat said. "If he (Pakistan) continues to behave this way, we will keep hitting."

Earlier on Tuesday, the Indian Army issued a statement and a 24-second video showing a Pakistani Army post being blown to smithereens. The punitive strikes were carried on 9 May, 2017, it claimed, using recoilless guns and anti-tank guided missiles to destroy a Pakistan Army position along the LoC.

The Pakistani Army has denied this claim. Meanwhile, top sources told HuffPost India that the Indian Army could release more evidence of similar punitive strikes.

"If he (Pakistan) continues to behave this way, we will keep hitting."

General Rawat said that people in Kashmir must realise that "they are being used as pawns by Pakistan." The continued unrest in the valley is only harming the population of the valley, he added. Since July 2016, when Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an anti-terror operation, the valley has been under a lock-down with separatist leaders leading the agitation.

Earlier, despite grave provocation, the Indian Army was always cautious about claiming or owning-up to action against Pakistan. Except the surgical strikes last year in 29 September--when Indian Special Forces crossed the LoC and hit Pakistani army positions--the Indian Army has never publicly accepted to punishing the Pakistan Army.

Indian Army hopes to embarrass the Pakistan Army within Pakistan.

The Army, it now appears, is no longer shy of accepting that it is hitting back. It clearly shows that India is adopting a different tack when dealing with Pakistan.

By claiming that it is punishing the Pakistan, the Indian Army hopes to embarrass the Pakistan Army within Pakistan. Secondly, it is also tacitly sending a message to Indians that it is giving an adequate reply to transgressions by Pakistan.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.