The Northern Army Commander said the armed forces are prepared to meet any challenge in 2019 given the enemy's activities and the elections.
Not just surgical strikes, the Indian Army has a host of options available to give a fitting reply to its Pakistani counterpart in the event of any misadventure.
"Pakistan may initiate small action to support infiltrators; however, they are punished enough to deter them from indulging in such misadventure in future… We have a range of options available. Depending on the situation and the effect we desire we decide which option will be explored," said Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Northern Command.
The Northern Army Commander said Pakistan violates ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) to facilitate infiltration. "As far as ceasefire violations are concerned, they continue to take place along the LoC. But it is essentially the adversary, the Pakistan Army, on the other side of LoC, which has been initiating the ceasefire violations with a view to facilitate infiltrators to cross and give them cover. Our strategy is very clear, whenever there are ceasefire violations, they are given a befitting response," he said.
Expressing concern over social media misuse, Lieutenant General Singh said the adversary has been using the social media to a large extent with a view to radicalise the youth to lead them "on the wrong path, making false promises, and giving false hope that they may attain 'azadi'".
"Social media has been a cause for concern for quite sometime. I would like to mention that we are implementing various central government initiatives at state-level. As far as the Army is concerned, we are not behind, we are a step ahead. We have been able to ensure that our counter narrative reaches the concerned people. This is an exercise in progress and it will continue and our aim is always to remain ahead as far as social media campaigns are concerned," he said.
The Northern Army Commander said the armed forces are prepared to meet any challenge in 2019 given the enemy's activities and the elections.
"In the past four to five months, there has been relative decline in the number of youth joining terror ranks. It is a result of sustained effort of the government and security forces to prevail upon teachers, parents and elderly so that they should wean away their children from joining this menace of militancy," he said.
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