Pahalgam attack: Former Indian Air Force chief demands surgical strikes against Pakistan

Former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha called for a military offensive against 'Pakistan-sponsored terrorists' in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Citing the example of Uri and Pulwama attacks, he claimed that India has shattered the 'myth' that two nuclear powers cannot engage in conventional warfare.

"It is imperative that the Indian armed establishment repeats those counter-offensives so that our enemies know who they are dealing with. This is the need of the hour," the news agency quoted Air Chief Marshal Raha as saying, asserting that he has no doubt about the role of Pakistan in the terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

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We have done it before at Balakot and Uri he said, but clarified that he is not in a position to spell out how and when of such operations. "We are used to (doing) it and we can do it again. India has already busted the myth that one nuclear-powered country cannot use military force on another," he said.

Air Chief Marshal Raha, an experienced fighter pilot, said the military establishment of Pakistan has no shame left.

"That country suffered the ignominy of surrendering 93,000 prisoners of war as a result of its 1971 misdeeds. The nation is now in the doldrums and is extending its begging bowl to virtually every country that would help. And in times like these, the Pakistani military is seeking revival by promoting such acts of terror," Air Chief Marshal Raha said.

Highlighting the need for enhancing the task of "actionable intelligence gathering" by means of advanced technological warcraft like satellite imageries, drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to counter terror infiltration, he stressed that the tried and tested mechanism of information gathering through human intelligence should also be made foolproof.

"Effective and actionable intelligence is the only means to prevent such attacks in future. Intelligence gathered through technology must be corroborated by multiple sources to make them actionable. That is where human intelligence plays a crucial role.

Defence