One year since surgical strike, Pakistan remains undeterred in exporting terrorism

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks and this idiom suits Pakistan very well when it comes to terrorism. The country known for being a "safe haven" for terrorists continued to provide assistance to them even after the September 29 surgical strike last year.

On September 29, 2016, Indian Army shocked the world including Pakistan by carrying out surgical strike and destroyed terror launch pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The fearless and retaliatory move by Indian Army came after four Pakistani terrorists attacked an Army Base in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri sector. The cowardice attackers killed 17 soldiers and injured 19.

After the Uri attack, the clamour for surgical strikes on Pakistan rose sharply and Indian Army did what the entire nation wanted to see.

However, Pakistan not learning any lessons continued to provide its support and assistance to terrorists. Attacks and infiltration didn’t stop post-surgical strike.

Attacks and infiltration post-September 29 surgical strikes:

On November 29, just two months after the surgical strike two major attacks shocked the Jammu and Kashmir again. 7 Army personnel including a Major were killed while 8 others were seriously injured.

According to an RTI report, 135 terrorists killed while 43 security personnel were martyred in terror attacks till August 2017.

By June 2017, 22 infiltration bids were attempted and 34 armed intruders were killed by the security forces.

Umar Fayaz killing: A Lieutenant rank Kashmiri Army officer Umar Fayaz Parry was assassinated by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district. Fayaz was on leave and gone to Shopian to attend a marriage ceremony when terrorists abducted him and murdered brutally.

Also Read | 2016 surgical strike on Pakistan live-streamed to Delhi Army headquarters

Amarnath Yatra attack: On July 10, Terrorists killed seven Amarnath pilgrims, including six women, and injured 19 others as they struck a bus in Kashmir's Anantnag district, in the worst attack on the annual pilgrimage since the year 2001.

According to an IndiaSpend analysis of data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), deaths due to terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir rose sharply post-surgical strikes on Pakistan.

From 246 in 2015-16 to 323 in 2016-17, deaths due to terrorism-related incidents increased by 31 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir in one year since Indian Army’s surgical strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Earlier this week, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat hinted more strikes on Pakistan and said cross-LoC surgical strike last year was a message to the Islamabad.

"The strikes were a message we wanted to communicate. I think they understood what we meant. These things could follow, if required," General Rawat said.

His message was a clear indication that if the situation in Kashmir remains what it is now, India will again do what it does the best, retaliate strongly and aggressively.