EAC prepared militarily for Pakistan:Chief

SHILLONG, OCT 1: Post India’s surgical strike at the Pakistani-backed terrorists’ launching pad in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,

the Indian Air Force’s Eastern Air Command said it is fully prepared to take on Pakistan militarily.

Indian Air Force Eastern Air Command chief Hari Kumar on Saturday informed the EAC is fully prepared as Pakistan has made it a state policy to use unconventional warfare because they cannot match the militarily might of India in the Western sector.

Kumar said, “So they (Pakistan) use unconventional warfare trying to hit India with a thousand cuts.”

Talking about the Uri attack that killed twenty soldiers by the Pakistan based militants Kumar said that it is a state’s sponsored-terrorism where 20 soldiers were martyred and the country is proud but could not take the attack lying down.

The EAC chief said that recent ‘surgical strikes’ were aimed at the terrorist camps across the Line-Of-Control (LOC) to send a strong message tell them, “Look we mean business and second we target them (militants) before they can be infiltrate into our country.”

Kumar, however, expressed optimism that what happened in the western sector need not happen in the eastern part and added “We are now waiting to see what would be Pakistan’s reaction.”

Stating that both countries don’t want a war, he however said, “War is not good for anybody but we cannot let any country dictate terms to us and kill our soldiers.”

On the China-Pakistan relationship, the EAC chief said that he is not worried about it as there is no military alliance between the two countries .

Talking about the fighter planes, Kumar informed that in addition to the MiG 27 and the Hawks squadrons, we are going another as the Rafale deal has been signed and a squadron will also be formed in the EAC.

Talking about the challenges faced by the EAC, Kumar said there are two major challenges – one is the terrain and the other is the weather.

“Both are critical as far as air operations are concern. In our sector the borders are at very high mountains. And therefore operations are also at a high altitude,” he said. –By Our Reporter