Have evidence of Pakistan army's support to Keran infiltrators: Army chief

New Delhi / Srinagar: Blaming Pakistan for provoking one of India's longest anti-infiltration operations in recent times, Army Chief General Bikram Singh today said no infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir is possible without the support and knowledge of the Pakistani army.

"We have had evidence of Pakistan army's involvement for a long time," General Singh said, adding, "My assessment is that the infiltration will continue. They want to push as many terrorists as possible before winter."

The two-week long army operation at Keran, 100 kms from Srinagar, to prevent a group of 40 terrorists from entering India ended today with the death of seven terrorists and injuring six army jawans.

Bodies of dead terrorists may also have been dragged back or buried in crevices or the thick jungle, army sources said.

The Indian army conducted seven massive search operations of a three-km area in their mission to hunt down the terrorists in the Keran sector along the Line of Control.

"On the LoC, we are eyeball to eyeball with Pakistan Army. How can such a large group infiltrate without the complicity of the Pak Army?" General Officer Commanding (Northern Command) Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra said in Srinagar while announcing the end of the operation.

Yesterday, NDTV spoke exclusively to one of the soldiers who was engaged in the massive encounter. He said he saw 35 to 40 infiltrators as he took a bullet in the abdomen.

Keran operation called off; Pakistan's support behind infiltration, says army

Srinagar / New Delhi: One of the longest anti-infiltration operations in recent times ended today with the Indian army finishing seven massive search operations of a three-km area in their mission to hunt down the terrorists in the Keran sector along the Line of Control.

In the operation that lasted 15 days, seven terrorists were killed and six jawans of the Indian army were injured. Army officials say an infiltration of this size could not have been possible without the support of the Pakistan army.
"On the LoC, we are eyeball to eyeball with Pakistan Army. How can such a large group infiltrate without the complicity of the Pak Army?" General Officer Commanding, Northern Command, Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra said today in Srinagar while announcing the end of the Keran operation.

Speaking at an event near Delhi today, army chief General Bikram Singh categorically said that the seven terrorists killed while infiltrating at Keran may have been part of a 40-member infiltration group. He also ruled out any domination or occupation of any area by the terrorists.

"Which adversary is going to dominate an area by sitting in a nullah? Sure, there was infiltration bid but that has been foiled. It was a desperate infiltration bid," Gen Singh said.

Bodies of dead terrorists may also have been dragged back or buried in crevices or the thick jungle, army sources said.

Yesterday, NDTV spoke exclusively to one of the soldiers who was engaged in the massive Keran encounter. He said that he saw 35 to 40 infiltrators as he took a bullet in the abdomen.