Kill surveillance operation before it starts? (4,3)
I believe the answer is:
take out
'kill' is the definition.
(I know that kill is a more specific form of the action take out)
'surveillance operation before it starts?' is the wordplay.
'surveillance operation' becomes 'stake out' (as in staking out a location).
'before it starts?' means to remove the first letter (without its starting letter).
'stakeout' with its first letter taken off is 'TAKE-OUT'.
(Other definitions for take out that I've seen before include "Remove; escort" , "Bump off" , "kebab, perhaps" , "As gangster, kill" , "Remove from within" .)