Surgical strikes: Eyewitnesses say Indian Army destroyed terror camps, LeT associated cleric called for revenge

New Delhi: At a time when various political parties are demanding proof of the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last week, a report quoting eyewitnesses across the Line of Control said on Wednesday that bodies of several slain terrorists were loaded into trucks for secret burial.

The eyewitnesses claimed that the makeshift houses of the slain terrorists were also destroyed by the Indian Army and there was a heavy exchange of gunfire between the forces and so called Pakistan-backed jihadists.

Importantly, a confidential report on Indian Army's surgical strikes has been forwarded to the Centre. The report was made on the basis of eyewitnesses' account.

According to 'The Indian Express' report, two eyewitnesses, who visited Dudhnial, told the newspaper that a damaged building was seen near Al-Haawi bridge.

Notably, Al-Haawi bridge is the place where Pakistan-based terrorists are provided with supplies by Lashkar-e-Toiba, before they cross the Line of Control and infiltrate into the Indian side.

Some locals also confirmed to the eyewitnesses about heavy exchange of fire on the intervening night of September 28 and 29.

The locals further revealed that around 5-6 bodies were loaded on a truck early next morning, and possibly transported to the nearest major Lashkar camp at Chalhana, across the Neelum river from Teetwal, on the Indian side of the LoC, the Indian Express report said.

Locals also stated that a few bodies were buried at the site of the attack with support from Pakistani forces and the ISI.

Earlier reports had said that the surgical strikes by special armed forces, during which at least seven terror launch pads were completely destroyed, were recorded on cameras.

Media reports had quoted top government sources in saying that the video of surgical strike against Pakistan-based terrorists were duly recorded and kept as a proof by Army.

The confirmation of the surgical strikes come at a time when various political parties and their leaders including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Digvijay Singh, Sanjay Nirupam and few others have demanded proof of Indian Army's military action in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The Army conducted surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads along the LoC on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK.

The next morning, the DGMO had given this information to the media in a press conference.

Pakistan, however, has been dismissing the claim as "fabrication of truth" and, said India was creating "media hype" by re-branding cross-border fire as surgical strikes.

On September 30, a cleric of a Lashkar-affiliated mosque in Chalhana, vowed to avenge the deaths of the men killed on the intervening night of September 28 and 29.

Friday prayers at a Lashkar-affiliated mosque in Chalhana, another eyewitness said, ended with a cleric vowing to avenge the deaths of the men killed the previous day.

Fresh firing across the de facto border between India and Pakistan on Tuesday intensified military tension between the already tense neighbours with Indian Air Force Chief Arup Raha warning that the situation on the Line of Control (LOC) was still "live".

The Indian Army alleged that Pakistan troops opened unprovoked heavy firing in at least three places on the LoC - a ceasefire line that divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries. Cross-border shelling also occurred along the International Border at Akhnoor sector in Jammu.