Lt Gen Hardev Singh Lidder’s book on Operation Sarp Vinash shows why the Indian Army’s 2003 campaign to clear terrorist strongholds in Rajouri-Poonch still matters today.
Zoya & Ayan, 13 were killed when a Pakistani shell struck their home in Poonch. Their father, still being treated for his injuries, is unaware of their deaths.
As areas along LoC saw Pakistani firing & shelling following Op Sindoor, civic volunteers stepped in to evacuate families, offering food, water & bedding—often in their own homes.
Qari Mohammad Iqbal, the teacher, was wrongly portrayed as ‘terrorist’ by several media outlets. Other victims of Pakistan shelling recall blasts; some of them escaped miraculously.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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