Army chief rejects India's 'self defeating' surgical strike claims

Pakistani armed forces are fully geared to respond to any aggression by India, says ISPR

Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa rejected on Thursday claims by Indian army chief about a 'repeat' of 'surgical strikes' against Pakistan.

"Gen Bajwa rejects self defeating claims by Indian COAS about 'so called surgical strikes' and its possible recurrence," DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a statement.

#COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa rejects self defeating claims by Indian COAS about 'so called surg strikes' and its possible recurrence. 1 of 2

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) January 5, 2017

The army chief said the armed forces were ready to respond to any aggression from the Indian side. "Pakistan Armed Forces are fully geared to respond to any aggression by India."

"Pakistan Armed Forces are fully geared to respond to any aggression by India" COAS. (2 of 2).

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) January 5, 2017

The statement came a day after Indian Army chief, General Bipin Rawat said "surgical strikes" against Pakistan were meant to deliver a message, and the possibility of similar action in future could not be ruled out.

Also, on January 2, Gen Rawat said India’s armed forces would not "shy away from flexing its muscles, if need be."



In September last year, New Delhi claimed that its forces carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan against alleged ‘terror launch pads’. The claim was forcefully rejected by Islamabad while it was also contested by a number of independent experts.

On September 18, 18 Indian troops were killed in an attack on a military base in Sri Nagar near the LoC. Indian blamed the attack on Pakistan, a charge the latter denied categorically.