Situation still 'live' at border after surgical strikes: IAF chief Arup Raha

New Delhi:  The situation is "live" in the wake of the surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC and the armed forces are ready to deal with any challenge, IAF Chief Marshal Arup Raha said on Tuesday.

He also said it was just a "coincidence" that Pakistan's air force's "High Mark" exercise took place at a time when tension between India and Pakistan was high.

Even as he refused to take questions on the surgical strikes by the Army last week during his customary annual press conference ahead of the Air Force Day on October 8, Raha said the force has the power to punish its enemy, but a decision on using it in an offensive role will have to be taken by the government.

"Air Force, Army and Navy are always ready," Raha, who is also the Chairman, Chief of Staff Committee (COSC), said.

When told would it not be a let down if he did not comment on the surgical strikes, Raha candidly said he was in "half a mind" to call off the media interaction because he knew everybody is charged up and he will be asked questions on the issue.

"I think I should not say anything because it is very sensitive and things are still live," the Air Chief Marshal said.

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday said "tension" prevails along the western front in the wake of surgical strikes conducted by Indian forces and it has witnessed movement of UAVs very close to the Indo-Pak border in the recent past.

As part of measures to beef up overall security, the border guarding force has also reviewed the preparedness of security mechanisms along the eastern front with Bangladesh so that terrorists are not able to use that country to sneak into India and launch attacks.

"No doubt, the overall vigil has been increased (along western borders). All the defence and security forces establishments are on their highest alert. There is tension on the western border..we are having active engagement (with Pakistan) at the Line of Control and we are receiving shelling from the other side. However, we are in supportive role at the LoC (to army)," BSF Director General K K Sharma told reporters in Delhi.

He said the BSF and their Bangladeshi counterparts Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), as part of the bi-annual talks that concluded here today, also did "touch upon" the security situation post the surgical strikes conducted by army across the LoC and that both the forces are on "high vigil."

"There is no new input (about Bangladeshi territory being used by terrorists)...however, vigil has been increased along the Indo-Bangla border too," he said.

Sharma added that while there is "tension" at the International Border (IB) that runs along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, there has been no ceasefire violation till now in these areas.

"We have noticed UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) coming 100 meters upto the border...may be they (Pakistani forces) want to check our preparedness but I can assure you that we are fully capable of giving a befitting reply and we will not allow any nefarious design of terrorists to succeed," he said.

The BSF chief added the force has not issued any order for vacating villages on the border and such directives may have been issued by the respective civil administrations of the states.

"We are even allowing Indian farmers to go to their farms which are beyond the Indo-Pak fence. We have never said vacate villages, people may have shifted out as precautionary measure. Now, people who had gone are coming back.

There has been no untoward incident at the IB till now," he said.

Talking about a recent incident at the Attari-Wagah retreat ceremony, Sharma said an incident was reported where a "stone" was thrown towards the Indian side but it did not hit anyone and the matter was brought to the notice of their counterparts Pakistan Rangers.