New Delhi/Islamabad: India is preparing to launch a major strike on Pakistan, a Pakistani publication alleged, referring to a report citing New Delhi's plan to construct underground shelters for storing missiles, rockets and ammunition close to the borders.

The report published in the 'Pakistan today' said that India is planning to construct underground shelters to store ammunition close to the borders with Pakistan and China.

Citing that the development was a follow-up to the ongoing tensions between the two neighbours following the killing of two Indian soldier (one Indian soldier was beheaded by troops from the other side and his head was taken as trophy by Pakistan rangers), the report claimed that Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh was considering a proposal to shift at least 2,000-2,500 metric tonnes of ammunition near the border.

Apart from providing better logistics in the event of a war, these ammunitions termed to be "expensive and operationally important"’ will provide logistical support to the Northern and Eastern Army Commands, the report claimed.

The report claimed that New Delhi viewed Beijing as the "real long-term threat" over Pakistan and has taken up two pilot projects for construction of "underground and tunneled" storage of ammunition near the "northern borders" with China.

According to the report, a committee consisting of the Indian Army, DRDO and other experts had selected five sites in the north-east and two in Jammu and Kashmir for the underground shelters, but the plan was later narrowed down to a site each in Leh and Sikkim.

Similar project are expected to come along the western border with Pakistan, the report claimed.

At present, only around 4.5 lakh of the 8 lakh tonnes of ammunition authorised for the Army has proper storage facilities in the shape of modern and fire-resistant storage sheds or storehouses. The rest is stored mostly in the open, exposed to the weather. This often leads to explosions, fires and “mishandling of ammunition incidents’’ causing regular deaths as well as destruction of ammunition.

Source : http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-india-army-preparing-for-war-pak-media-4153246-NOR.html?HT2=