Sir, this was for the gallery. A certain four-letter word wanted something to wave around (the next day, at a pre-election rally at Churu, Rajasthan, he did the equivalent of a victory lap). The service chiefs obliged; the cheapest thing to do was to target an abandoned camp with precision munition. The Air Force had no doubt that the PAF knows the exact CEP (Circular Error Probable) of these Spice bombs; the information would be shared immediately within the Pakistani establishment, there would be no casualties to be avenged as a matter of national honour, and the message would go home, with the least possible cost. AND four-letters would sleep well at night.
In my view, both sides went through an elaborate charade. There was some indisciplined breach of protocol due to the exchange of fire during the retributive PAF attack that was so careful to miss (by metres, not by miles, again demonstrating intent, but allowing the other side, in its turn, to save 'face'); that is still to be tidied up. No doubt we shall see that tidying up process during the weeks to come.
I am honestly disgusted with the abuse of the military by some four-lettered ones, but very impressed with the professional competence with which these supposed simple soldiers (airmen?) squared the circle.
