Desperate infiltration bid in Keran sector foiled: Army Chief Bikram Singh

Hindon (Ghaziabad): Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh on Tuesday said the “desperate infiltration bid” by terrorists in Keran sector in Jammu and Kashmir has been foiled. He sought to clarify that the infiltration attempt was not an “intrusion” as the enemy was not occupying higher ground but sitting in a “nallah” (rivulet). [caption id=“attachment_1159657” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Army Chief General Bikram Singh. AFP[/caption] “It was a desperate infiltration bid, which has been foiled,” Gen Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of the Air Force Day parade. The Army Chief said that seven of the terrorists involved in the Keran sector had apparently pulled out from there and tried to infiltrate from other areas but were gunned down by the security forces. Gen Singh was asked if the situation was ‘very bad’ in Keran sector, where the encounter had been going on between Indian Army troops and terrorists backed by suspected Pakistani special forces for the last 15 days. “A large number of channels have talked about this being an intrusion. It is not. If this was intrusion, the adversary would go and occupy dominating ground which is defensible.” “In this case, they were sitting in a nallah. Which adversary is going to dominate an area by sitting in the nallah?” he asked. He said, “Some of these guys (terrorists) perhaps pulled out from there and tried to infiltrate from the adjoining areas and that is where seven were taken on,” he said. The Army chief said he would take stock of the situation after returning to Delhi. IAF chief NAK Browne said the Army was capable of handling the situation and asked the media to have a little patience. The Army has been battling 35-40 infiltrators in the Keran sector about 300-400 metres inside Indian territory and several senior commanders have gone to the area to review the situation. Gen Singh did not reply when asked if he would himself visit the area where the operations were going on. “Please hold your horses and let the Army Commander comment on it. I have to take stock of the situation myself,” he said. PTI