J&K, Punjab play safe, evacuate border villages after surgical strikes in Pak

New Delhi: The Punjab government on Thursday ordered evacuation of villages in a 10-km belt along the border with Pakistan, following surgical strikes by the Indian Army across the Line of Control.

The move came in after Home Ministry directed Punjab government to evacuate the border villages.

The ceremonial beating retreat ceremony at Attari border has also been closed for public today, officials said.

India carried out 'surgical strikes' on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir last night, inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists and those who are trying to support them.

The announcement of the sudden action by the Army was made on Thursday by the DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, 11 days after the terror strike by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Kashmir over which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the attackers will not go "unpunished" and that the sacrifice of 18 jawans will not go in vain.

Local authorities announced to residents of border villages to leave their homes and move to safer places and also ordered closure of schools and other institutions in the border areas till further instructions.

The Border Security Force (BSF) have mobilised its troops and strengthening the security along the border belt.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has put the entire government and political machinery in an emergency mode, an official spokesman said here. "The Chief Minister has summoned an emergency Cabinet meeting in Chandigarh in the evening," Punjab Cabinet Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Badal over telephone today to request him to immediately start the process of evacuation of the people residing in the villages falling within 10 kilometres of the International border in view of the escalating situation, the spokesman said.

Badal has directed the Chief Secretary and DGP to ask the concerned Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to oversee the entire evacuation process in the border districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Amritsar, Taran Tarn, Gurdaspur and Pathankot.

The Chief Minister directed the DCs to identify suitable locations for setting up camps and ensure that none of the residents being evacuated were put to any sort of inconvenience, the spokesman said.

Badal also personally spoke to the Cabinet Ministers and MLAs concerned to camp in these border districts and to keep close liaison with the district administration to ensure safe movement of residents.

The Chief Minister also directed the Chief Secretary to immediately release Rs one crore each to all the Deputy Commissioners of six border districts to meet out any exigency.

The emergency meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister S K Sandhu, DGP Suresh Arora and Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gaggandip Singh Brar.

Meanwhile, Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam said border residents in Amritsar district have been asked to remain vigilant and prepare for any eventuality.

Simultaneously, the situation is tense in villages along the stretch of the International Border in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts. People of Arnia, Suchetgarh, Ranbir Singh Pura, Kanachak, Pargwal and Nagri Parole sub-sectors have started moving to safer zones. "Families are moving out without any instruction from the authorities. No orders from the police or the Army have been issued," said a police officer on the condition of anonymity.

“People have started talking about worst that could be in store as the war clouds are looming over the region again. The horror of the wars fought in the past is an image that sends shivers down our spines,” said Abdul Majeed Piswal, a resident of Kupwara.

A surgical strike is a swift attack undertaken by military on specific targets with the aim to neutralise them while ensuring minimum collateral damage to the surrounding areas and civilians, and a subsequent return to primary positions. It also prevents escalation to a full-blown war.

These attacks can be carried out via air raids, airdropping special operation teams or a ground operation. All three Indian armed forces have their separate special ops teams. It requires detailed and extensive planning to carry out surgical strikes and achieve the objective. External intelligence is vital to carry out these strikes.