NEW DELHI: The Indian army retaliated against Pakistan with undisclosed tactical measures for the alleged beheading of an Indian soldier in January last year, the Press Trust of India quoted outgoing army chief Gen Bikram Singh as saying on Thursday.

Talking to the media before demitting office, Gen Singh said: “It (retaliation) has been done.

Please understand that when we use force, that use is from tactical to operational to strategic levels.”

Soon after the alleged incident on January 8 last year, Gen Singh had said that the Indian Army would “retaliate at a time and place of its choice”.

On Thursday, according to PTI, he said his comment was aimed “at the operational and tactical level”. Asked if India had retaliated, he said: “It has been done at the tactical level by local commanders… chiefs don’t get involved in it.”

While Lance Naik Hemraj was reportedly beheaded, the body of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh was found mutiliated along the LoC in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Asked about the possibility of a skirmish with China, Gen Singh said: “I do not foresee this as we have got robust mechanisms which are in place. There is an understanding at the macro level… When I went to China, there was tremendous understanding between the two countries.”

The new Army Chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, will officially take charge on Friday.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014