Surgical Strikes and the impact of such actions
A surgical strike is essentially a swift and targeted attack on specific target that aims to neutralize them while ensuring minimum collateral damage to the surrounding areas and civilians. Neutralization of targets with surgical strikes also prevents escalation to a full blown war. Similarly Hot pursuit is chasing the enemy even up to their own turf and it is an indicator of zero tolerance for terrorists.
Impact of such actions:
• India realizes that dropping the policy of ‘strategic restraint’ might ignite another spiral of violence in Kashmir. However, the following of the same has not worked either and perhaps there may be a breakthrough with new approach.
• The jihadist element will pressurize the other state to go for a similar strike. India had factored-in this move, and therefore villagers within 10 km of Punjab border were evacuated.
• It was not a strategic strike, but a tactical strike, where strike itself was not so important, but a break from previous approach was most important and thus, it made big news. Given that government successfully pulled it off, may encourage it to adopt a more offensive approach.
Sometimes too much peaceful nature is assumed to be a sign of weakness and thus, from time to time, India needs to shrug-off this issue and pose a credible threat for the terrorists, i.e. fear of repercussions. Thus, hot pursuit of northeast rebels was also necessary, as they thought that due to porous border they could always rush to other country, Government of India would not be able to do anything.
The success of Russia and Israel in preventing major terrorist attacks in recent past has been because of their offensive approach.
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