Militants attacked a police post in Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, just a day after a terror strike at an Army base in Uri, Baramullah district. Reports said there were no casualties in the second attack. However, the toll from the first incident rose to 18 on Monday after one more soldier succumbed to his injuries.
Following Sunday’s attack, India has stepped up pressure on Pakistan to take action against terror outfits working from their soil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a high-level meeting in which the government decided to “diplomatically isolate” Pakistan at all international fora.
The decision came after India said it had evidence linking the attack to Pakistan. It said it has uncovered GPS trackers that show their starting points in the neighbouring country and arms marked with the insignia of the Pakistan Army. The National Investigation Agency has begun its inquiry into the attack.
The Indian Army also stated that it reserved the right to respond to any act of terror from across the border at the time and place of its choosing. Military Operations Director General Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh said, “The Indian Army has displayed considerable restraint while handling the terrorist situation both along the Line of Control and in hinterland. However, we have the desired capability to respond to such blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate by us.”
Despite rising tension in bilateral ties between the countries, top military commanders on Monday warned the Centre against taking any rash decisions, The Indian Express reported. In the meeting convened by the prime minister, top government officials were against initiating military strikes against Pakistan though senior politicians have called for immediate action, the report added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan said it was “fully prepared to respond to an entire spectrum of direct and indirect threat”. The Pakistan army said it was monitoring the situation in the region closely after “taking note of a hostile narrative being propagated by India”.
Global reactions to Uri
World leaders have condemned Sunday’s attack in Uri, while China might bring up the issue of terror with Pakistan, in connection with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that is being planned, PTI reported. Hu Shisheng, Director of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the news agency, “The larger aim of CPEC is regional development and it can't happen in a violent atmosphere”.
The South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation Summit is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November this year.
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