In a clear
departure from past practices, the Govt authorized the Indian armed forces to
launch an attack on terrorist camps outside its boundary. Kudos to the Indian Army and the Air Force
for a sterling display of professionalism and jointmanship. However, if such an
action needs to be repeated, the militants are unlikely to be taken by surprise
and own casualties may become inevitable. PM Modi rightly stated that he would
not accept Indian casualties anywhere in the world. Thus if Indians fall prey
to terrorists outside our own country, a repeat of such actions may also be
inevitable.
Mark Mazzetti
in his book ‘The Way of the Knife’
has brought out how the Americans have been using killer drones and
special forces to deadly effect all across the globe. Operations using drones
ensure min loss of life to our own forces, while inflicting maximum damage to
the terrorists. In the long term if India wants to assert its hegemony in the
subcontinent as also dissuade our not so friendly neighbours from stoking the
fires of Jehad or militancy, it is imperative that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs)
be used for the destruction of training camps, hideouts and other militant infrastructure.
Technically, it may be possible that such action be initiated from within our
own territory. Though use of ground forces cannot be ruled out altogether,
maximum use of UAVs will certainly minimize losses and ensure morale is not
adversely affected.
While we may have got away with our
transgression into a nieghbouring sovereign state in Myanmar, a similar action
in Pakistan would raise the risk many notches. With Pakistan, the risk of
further escalation would be too great to be hazarded. The need therefore of
acquiring the capability of carrying out surgical strikes into enemy territory
either through drones or a combination of ground troops and UAVs is
inescapable. Such strikes though a transgression into foreign soil might just
pass as a 26/11 type attack and thus, might just be worth the risk.
