KL Report
SRINAGAR
The gunfight between the Indian and Pakistani military which started ten days ago in the Keran sector of the Kupwara district of Kashmir is still going.
Naresh Brij, the Army spokesperson told Kashmir Life over phone, “The firing is still going in the area so the operation is on. We are moving forward.”
He also informed that on Friday morning another infiltration attempt was foiled in Gujjardur area in Shalla Batu village, in Keran area, in which three militants/ infiltrators were killed.
The Keran ceasefire violation was reported within days of India and Pakistan agreed to resolve the tension along the Line of Control. The Pakistani intruders were reported to have come forward and have occupied a few posts in the Keran sector and many presumed it to be like Kargil like situation but Army, however, denied being pushed out of its posts.
The Indian Army chief, Gen Bikram Singh said earlier, “Situation is not anywhere close to Kargil. We are dominating from all sides. They (intruders) are holed up there. We will take them out.” and added, “It’s a matter of time. All such operations take time.”
He further informed that Keran operation is in its last leg. The battle in Keran along LoC entered its final stages on Friday.” Indian forces have been battling around 30 to 40 militants who infiltrated the region 11 days ago.
Meanwhile a Pakistani army spokesman while speaking to PTI in Islamabad, denied its involvement as “baseless and a blatant lie.”
The first encounter took place on September 24 in which five Indian soldiers were wounded. The sources have told that the intruders are standing on their ground and are firing along a front of 4 to 5 kms.
As per Delhi based newspapers on September 24-25 night, the Indian Army detected the movement of militants drawn from different organisations. Subsequent reports showed that the group had taken shelter in the abandoned village. In a bid to avoid casualties in the hostile terrain, the army planned the operation with extra care.
Given the mountainous terrain, helicopters were used to induct troops in support of the 3/3 Gorkha Rifles unit in the sector.
However, the issue got complicated when the army claimed that it has killed 15 infiltrators but there were no recoveries in terms of bodies or weapons.
