Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled the 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control in his 138th Mann Ki Baat address, marking ten years since the operation against terror launchpads. The strikes, carried out on the night of 28-29 September 2016, were India’s response to the Uri terror attack, in which 19 soldiers were killed.

Modi said the operation displayed the country’s firm resolve against terrorism and reiterated that India follows a zero-tolerance policy on terror. He noted that the decision to strike had been taken after careful deliberation and that the armed forces had executed it with precision.

The Prime Minister said the anniversary was an occasion to remember the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers who protect the nation’s borders. The address comes at a time when the government has repeatedly underlined its national security record. The surgical strikes of 2016 were followed three years later by the Balakot air strikes in 2019, both of which remain significant reference points in India’s counter-terrorism posture.