Top security brass briefed the Prime Minister on the prevailing ground situation in the Kashmir Valley. Photo courtesy: Twitter handle of @PMOIndia

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19

India’s reaction to the attack by Pakistan-based terrorists on a military establishment in Uri on Sunday will be a “well thought-out strategy” rather than a knee-jerk reaction driven by emotions. Indications to this effect were given after a high-level security review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.During the meeting, the Prime Minister discussed with his senior Cabinet colleagues and top security officials all options available to India for a response to the attack in Uri.

After two rounds of high-level meetings through the day, the Prime Minister also met President Pranab Mukherjee.

According to sources, the Prime Minister was also likely to call an all-party meeting to build a consensus on India’s response.Minister of State for External Affairs Vijay Kumar Singh, who is a former Army chief, told the media that a well thought-out strategy was being worked out, and India’s response to the attack would not be driven by emotions.Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, besides other senior officials, attended the meeting.The top security brass briefed the Prime Minister on the prevailing ground situation in the Kashmir Valley in the wake of the terror attack at a Brigade Headquarters in Uri in which 17 soldiers were killed, official sources said.Earlier on Monday, the Home Minister, too, chaired a high-level meeting attended by the Defence Minister and top security brass of the country to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the border areas.The Defence Minister and the Army Chief had visited Kashmir after the terror attack yesterday.Heavily armed militants, suspected to be from the Pakistan-based JeM, had yesterday stormed an Army base in Uri in Kashmir, killing 17 jawans.

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India had reacted strongly to the deadliest attack on the Army in Jammu and Kashmir in a quarter-century-old insurgency that sparked an outrage with the Prime Minister strongly condemning it.“We strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished,” Modi had said.The Home Minister, who had yesterday called an emergency meeting in Delhi, had pointed a finger directly at Pakistan, saying it is a “terrorist state” and should be isolated, while BJP leader Ram Madhav said days of strategic restraint are over and suggested that “for one tooth, the complete jaw” should be the policy after the attack.

Army presents options to Modi

The Army has presented a clutch of military options to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is an action plan in place. Designated spots across the Line of Control (LoC) have been ‘war gamed’ for possible action in view of the Sunday morning attack on a military camp at Uri in northern Kashmir.Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag briefed the Prime Minister while the Director General Millitary Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh was at the meeting with Home Minister Rajnath Singh.War gaming is an act that militaries do to assess enemy positions and tactics.  The action, if any, is being kept under wraps. The DGMO has been asked to tell his Pakistan counterpart about the details of Pakistan-made equipment and weapons that were used by the terrorists. — With PTI and TNS inputs

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• Modi: This won’t go ‘unpunished’
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• Uri terror attack: Rajnath chairs review meeting
• DGMO: Army ready for befitting reply