India capable of surgical strikes like US: Army chief
Army chief General VK Singh on Wednesday said the Indian armed forces were capable of carrying out surgical operations against terrorists similar to the one conducted by the US in Pakistan to kill al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Gulam Jeelani reports.
Army chief General VK Singh on Wednesday said the Indian armed forces were capable of carrying out surgical operations against terrorists similar to the one conducted by the US in Pakistan to kill al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
“All the three wings (army, navy and air force) are capable of carrying out such operations, when needed. But we need permission from the top for this,” he said on the sidelines of his visit to the UP Sainik School here.
Gen Singh’s assertion echoed Air Chief Marshal PV Naik’s statement in New Delhi on Monday that India had surgical strike capability like the US. Citing the manner in which Bin Laden was killed, Gen Singh said, “US commandos carried out the operation only after directions from US President Barack Obama. We can also think of such attacks to eliminate terrorists from this part of the world.”
After Bin Laden’s death, a cross-section of people has referred to the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 and been vocal about the need for India to carry out surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan
On Bin Laden’s killing, Gen Singh said the elimination of the ‘most wanted’ terrorist would certainly reduce the intensity of terrorism.
On queries about terrorists who could be targeted in the sub-continent after permission from higher authorities, he said: “We can’t deny the presence of dreaded terrorists in the region. All of them have to be eliminated.” When asked about underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Gen Singh nodded in the affirmative.