Beheading of soldiers: Army will hit back, says chief Bipin Rawat

Army chief general Bipin Rawat said on Thursday the force would retaliate to the beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops but refused to spell out the detail.

The killing and mutilation of the soldiers in a cross-LoC raid on Monday had sparked widespread anger, with family members and many political leaders demanding similar action against the neighbouring country.

"We don't talk about future plans beforehand; we share details after execution," the chief said in his first reaction to the attack carried out by Pakistan's notorious Border Action Team in the Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Pakistani soldiers ambushed a joint patrol of the Border Security Force and army, killing naib subedar Paramjit Singh, a 42-year-old junior commissioned officer with 22 Sikh Regiment, and 45-year-old head constable Prem Sagar of the BSF's 200 Battalion.

Pakistan has denied its soldiers carried out the attack but India told its high commissioner Abdul Basit it had enough



evidence, including blood trail, to prove that its troops entered India, killed the two men and carried their heads back.

India had on September 29 hit terror launch pads across the line of control 10 days after an attack by suspected Pakistani militants on a camp in Uri left killed 19 soldiers dead.

Rawat was closely involved in the planning and execution of the surgical strike.

The chief, who was in Kashmir on Tuesday, said the army had beefed up counter-infiltration measure as snow was melting and terrorists would try to sneak into India.

The border state witnesses a long and harsh winter, with snow blocking mountain passes used by militants.

Talking about the anti-militancy operation in south Kashmir's Shopian district, the general, who has vast operational experience in J&K, said the incidents of the last few days had necessitated the move.

"Banks have been looted, policemen have been killed. That is why today's combing operation is taking place," he said.