Keran sector infiltration bid not possible without active support, collusion of Pak Army: General Naravane

Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday said the failed infiltration attempt by terrorists in Keran sector earlier this month could not have been done without "active support and collusion" of Pakistan Army.

"As far as the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) is concerned, earlier this month, we had an infiltration attempt, which was successfully foiled. We were able to kill all five terrorists, who were attempting to infiltrate. Unfortunately, we also lost a JCO and four very gallant boys," General Naravane told .

"This attempt of infiltration was being made under very difficult conditions and the area from which they came, it would not have been possible without the active support and collusion of Pakistan Army," he said.

The operation had taken place along the LoC in Keran sector. Four soldiers under the command of a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) from one of the most professional Para Special Forces Units were airdropped near the LoC after the information about the infiltrators was received.

An intense hand to hand battle ensued and all five terrorists were eliminated. However, the Army also lost five of its best soldiers -- three on the site and two more succumbed while they were airlifted to a nearby military hospital.

Stressing that the morale of Army personnel is very high, General Naravane lauded them for the "excellent job" they are doing "not only in J-K but also on the northern and western borders and in the North East."

However, the Army Chief expressed apprehensions that as the summer approaches the infiltrations would increase.

"The summer is coming. The snow will melt. The passes will open. The infiltration attempts will increase. Along with infiltration attempts, the attempts of terrorists to foment trouble in the hinterland will also see some rise," he said.

"We are constantly monitoring the situation. The commanders on the ground are taking note of all developments on the other side of LoC and various intelligence inputs that we are getting. And we are formulating our summer strategy based on that," said the Army Chief.

The Army Chief said that after the abrogation of Article 370, the violence levels have declined. He made it clear that the current coronavirus pandemic won't affect the pace of Army operations.

( With inputs from ANI )