Poonch: After the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Army’s artillery gunners targeted and decimated over 20 Pakistani posts meant for staging infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector, a top official said.
Failing to match up to the Indian troops’ assault, Pakistan targeted civilian areas, causing casualties in the Poonch sector, the official added.
The Poonch sector witnessed heightened tension and artillery shelling nearly two weeks ago. India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
The wave of artillery shelling, missile, and drone strikes in the Jammu region – particularly in Poonch – killed 27 people and left over 70 injured between May 8 and 10. Thousands fled from the LoC and International Border areas to seek refuge in government-run relief camps.
“As we received orders on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of May, we fired over 600 rounds of artillery shells in three days, targeting accurately and precisely over 20 enemy posts. These posts were part of the terror infrastructure and used for infiltrating terrorists into India,” an officer of the artillery unit said.
According to the army, the precision strikes crippled enemy logistics, material, and morale.
“As troops hit and destroyed the posts, we knew we had devastated their (Pakistan’s) men, material, and morale,” the officer said.
The Army released a video of ‘target practice’ of decimated Pakistani posts along LoC in Poonch sector, where guns were seen in action for three days.
A captain said intercepts from across the border suggested there were a large number of launching pads and terror administrative setups.
“These have been targeted,” he said, adding, “It was thunder in the sky and it landed right on their heads.”
Another officer, detailing Operation Sindoor and overseeing a sensitive operational area, said, “The fire after the Pahalgam attack was running high. It went like a war cry through the ranks of the Indian Army. The bellies of my men were filled with fire.”
A commanding officer of a battalion said when the ceasefire understanding was announced, jawans asked as to why it was done. “They were high on morale.”
A another captain from the mechanized infantry unit, stationed in the forward defence location of Akhnoor sector, said the operation was “swift, clinical and precise”.
“Once Pakistan could not gain dividends in the hilly sector, they opened fire in the plain sector and civilian areas,” he said.
“Our response was fully in sync with our battalion’s artillery guns and closely coordinated with air defence,” he added.
Despite Pakistan firing thousands of shells, the captain said most of them were ineffective. “Most of the shells sunk into the ground here and there.”
He lauded the residents of Akhnoor for their courage and discipline during the shelling. “They tried to hit our civilian areas. Thanks to the people of Akhnoor who worked hand-in-hand with the Indian Army. They trusted and followed all the drills set for them previously. They went into pre-designated bunkers, and all of them were safe and secure.”
