noun
pincer operation; pincer tactic
Military term for a tactic where forces attack both flanks of an enemy simultaneously to encircle them.
敵軍は挟撃作戦で包囲された。
The enemy forces were encircled by a pincer operation.
挟み撃ち is a more general term for a pincer attack, while 挟撃作戦 specifically refers to a planned military operation using this tactic.
Compound of 挟撃 (kyōgeki, 'pincer attack') and 作戦 (sakusen, 'operation, tactics'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in modern military contexts.