New Delhi: Two years after the surgical strikes carried out by the army across the Line of Control, Lt Gen (retd) D.S. Hooda on Friday said it was natural to have an initial euphoria over the success but the constant hype around it was unwarranted.
Gen Hooda was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strikes were carried out on September 29, 2016, across the LoC as a response to a terrorist attack in Uri earlier that month.
The Army had said its special forces inflicted “significant casualties” on terrorists waiting there to cross into Indian territory.
Gen Hooda was speaking during a panel discussion on the topic, ‘Role of Cross-Border Operations and Surgical Strikes’, on the first day of Military Literature Festival 2018 in Chandigarh.
The discussion was attended by Punjab governor V.P. Singh Badnore amongst a battery of former generals and army commanders. Many war veterans cautioned against “politicisation” of the military operations, as per a Punjab government release.
Also Read: Politicising Surgical Strikes Erodes the Army’s Potency and Deterrent Value
Responding to a question from the audience, General Hooda said in hindsight, it would have been better the surgical strike was kept a secret.
The aim of any such offensive had to be not only tactical but strategic too, which substantially hampers enemy morale, he said.
Citing the example of the 1981 Israeli air strikes on Iraqi nuclear sites, which had caused considerable damage, Lt General (retd) N.S. Brar underscored the need to ensure long-term impact on the enemy before undertaking any such operation in the future.
Cautioning current political leaders against being adventurists, General Brar asked if the political masters would have taken responsibility had there been any causalities in the strikes.
Earlier, a two minute silence was observed in the memory of the soldiers who laid down their lives in the service to the nation.
V.P. Singh Badnore inaugurated the MLF.
MLF, which is into its second edition this year, is organised to raise awareness among people about the legacy of the armed forces and encourage youth to join the Indian Army.