General Dalbir Singh said that lessons need to be learnt from the attack on the airbase and that the Indian army was well-prepared to take on any security threats. “These are government decisions, whatever task the government gives us we are ready”.
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Speaking about the recently conducted combat operations in Pathankot, the Army Chief dismissed reports that there was any lack of coordination between the forces.
Commenting on the criticism that it took too long to finish off the operation that went on for three days, the army chief said the time taken to complete the operations should be left to the commander on the ground.
This brings up further issues in the matter of how the terrorists got inside and offers trustworthiness to reports that they came in before January 1 when the particular caution was received.
“I am not saying in this (Pathankot) connection…” he said when asked whether he feels that the Pathankot attack was an attempt by the Pakistani Army and the ISI to disrupt the peace process. Indian army commandos joined police in fighting suspected militants who fired at a bus station and stormed into police barracks on the outskirts of a northern town bordering Pakistan early Monday.
He added that one of the important task at hand was to ensure safety of the assets, the over 10,000 people living at the base and the foreign trainees.
Countering claims that the army reached late, General Dalbir Singh said the eight columns were deployed both inside and outside the campus within a few hours of the intelligence alert after which no one breached the base.
“There were two soldiers in the building where two terrorists were holed up. To ensure less casualties we had to take time to complete operation”.
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Answering to question about why there is a spike in terrorist activities in Punjab, Gen Suhag said, They (terrorists) keep exploring possibilities. “There was no one, I think, better than him to handle this kind of situation”, General Singh said.
