The move comes as ceasefire violations by Pakistan continued from across the LoC, with Indian military posts in Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor of Jammu & Kashmir coming under small arms fire.
As reported by ET, the deployment of Chinese-origin, long-range rocket systems has been detected in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and it has been established that the Pakistani army has moved in additional troops that are traditionally tasked to other locations such as its Punjab province.
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Border tensions escalated after Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. India said the act had been orchestrated from across the border and that two of the gunmen were Pakistani.
Free Hand to Forces
The neighbouring country has denied involvement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces full operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the Indian response at a meeting on April 29. The Indian Director General of Military Operations has spoken to his Pakistani counterpart over a military hotline and warned that the unprovoked violations by Pakistan would not be tolerated, ET reported May 1. Pakistan has clamped down on flight activity as it braces for military action. Both countries have closed off their air space to the carriers of the other nation.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio called on the two sides to work together to “de-escalate tensions” and “maintain peace and security in South Asia”. External affairs minister S Jaishankar reiterated India’s resolve to bring the perpetrators and backers of the Pahalgam attack to justice in his conversation with Rubio.
In other actions being considered, India may allow desilting operations at key hydel plants in Jammu & Kashmir within a week instead of waiting for the monsoon, having already suspended the Indus Water Treaty. It is also considering a ban on postal services and access to Pakistani websites. The ALH fleet for both the army and air force will now be activated as it has been cleared for operations based on the recommendations of a defect investigation committee.
The grounding of the fleet had hit the operational capabilities of the army in J&K, where helicopters are used widely to quickly transport supplies, evacuate casualties and conduct reconnaissance missions in support of anti-infiltration operations.
