LOC, NAUSHERA SECTOR (RAJOURI): “Beware! Move inside trenches. They (Pak army) have hoisted red flags on their posts to indicate hostilities and a sort of warning that they can open fire on any unusual movement”, an Indian army officer tells scribes at the forward post here on Monday.
Last Wednesday, Pak army had opened automatics weapons’ fire and shot mortars on this post, he adds.
“Compelled by the circumstances we have also put up red flags to convey that we, too, will not be handling the adversary with soft hands,” he says.
Following India’s surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the intervening night of September 27 and 28, a mix of threat and tension appeared omnipresent, to both, India and Pakistan.
Barely three kms away from the Indian post was a ridge that lies in PoK, which had Pakistani posts on a higher altitude.
If Pakistan’s movement is restricted post-surgical strikes on their side of the de-facto border, the degree of alertness on the part of Indian army has also gone up by a few notches in the aftermath of the recent flare up.
“Their (Pak troops) movement is now restricted somewhat (post-surgical strikes) and the degree of alertness on our part has increased. We are 24x7 alert and alive to the situation on the LoC but the degree of alertness has increased for obvious reasons,” says the officer. The adversary is cautious, alert, and so do we are. In fact, we remain in a state of readiness 24x7, he adds.
{{/usCountry}}“Their (Pak troops) movement is now restricted somewhat (post-surgical strikes) and the degree of alertness on our part has increased. We are 24x7 alert and alive to the situation on the LoC but the degree of alertness has increased for obvious reasons,” says the officer. The adversary is cautious, alert, and so do we are. In fact, we remain in a state of readiness 24x7, he adds.
{{/usCountry}}SOLDIERS PUMPED
With their fingers on triggers and eyes glued on the enemy via binoculars and other surveillance equipment, soldiers here say, “country comes first and then anything else including families back home”. “If the countrymen are happy on surgical strikes then we are too. The support of country gives us pride and their support bolsters our confidence to serve the motherland with utmost sincerity even at the cost of our life,” says a soldier.
The soldiers here on the LoC have no fixed timings.“We relieve the duty only when another colleague takes over the charge,” he adds.