Army free to take decisions in 'war-like zone': Arun Jaitley

 Army officers are free to take decisions in a "war-like" zone, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said today, amid raging controversy over a Major tying a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone pelters.

Without specifically mentioning Major Leetul Gogoi's action, he said, "Well, military solutions are to be provided by military officers. How a situation is to be dealt with when you are in a war-like zone... we should allow our army officers to take a decision. "They don't have to consult members of Parliament as to what they should do under such circumstances." Jaitley was responding to a question on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after the Army went public on fire assaults on Pakistani posts along the LoC.

The Indian Army yesterday said it launched "punitive fire assaults" on Pakistani positions across the Line of Control, inflicting "some damage", days after two of its troopers were beheaded. It also released a video of the military action which showed some structures in a forested area crumbling in a heap under the impact of repeated shelling.