A retired Lieutenant General, DS Hooda, who had been a commander of the Indian Northern Army, in September 2016 when ‘surgical strikes’ had been carried out on ‘terror launch pads across the Line of Control’, called the strikes ‘overhyped’, ANI reported.
The Indian Army stated that they had carried out “surgical strikes on terror launchpads across the Line of Control to neutralise alleged infiltrators the previous night”, which later followed an attack on an Indian Army base in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri, leading to the death of 17 army men.
While moderating a discussion on “Role of Cross-Border Operations and Surgical Strikes” at the Military Literature Festival in Delhi, Hooda said, “Did the overhype help? I say, completely no,” as quoted by Indian Express. “If you start having political resonance in military operations, it is not good. There was too much political banter, on both sides, and when military operations get politicised, that is not good.”
Quoted by ANI, Hooda said that the strikes were important and that the Army “had to do it”. “Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it was right or wrong is something that should be asked to the politicians,” he said.
Hooda said there were accusations that the surgical strikes had been politicised and that there was an “attempt to keep a purely military operation in the political domain by selective leaks of videos, photographs etc”.
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In response to a question from the audience, Hooda said in hindsight, it would have been better if the surgical strikes were carried out secretly, reported Hindustan Times. “The aim of any such offensive had to be not only tactical but strategic too, which substantially hampers enemy morale,” he said.
Hooda also said the aim of the surgical strikes could not have been achieved through artillery fire. “We had had massive artillery duels but it was not helping,” he said, adding that the planning for the strikes had been made in advance. “Should it have been publicised? There was no option,” he said, as quoted by IE. “Too many questions were being asked. The media and our own Army soldiers were asking, ‘What are we doing about so many deaths of soldiers?’”
#WATCH: Lt Gen (retd) DS Hooda, who was Chief of the Northern Command of the Army when surgical strike was executed in 2016, says “Surgical strike was overhyped & politicised.”https://t.co/P8r8QBd3pL
— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2018
General (retired) D S Hooda: I do think there was too much hype over it (surgical strike). The strike was important & we had to do it. Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it was right or wrong is something that should be asked to the politicians. (7.12) pic.twitter.com/8v0QJ1tzK5
— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2018
