Ashwin Shuklapaksha 1, Kaliyug Varsha 5115
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Jammu & Kashmir – For the last 10 days, the Army has been busy flushing out terrorists and suspected Pakistan special troops holed up in an area in Keran sector along the Line of Control (LoC) In Jammu & Kashmir. The Army has launched a massive anti-infiltration operation in the area and five Indian soldiers have reportedly been injured.
According to reports, the Pakistani troops were actively engaged in another 1999 Kargil-like act, by occupying a ghost village along the LoC in J&K. This activity was going on even when Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif, were busy with their bilateral talks in New York.
According to reports, exchange of fire is still going on in Shala Bhata village, which has been occupied by Pakistani troops. The troops have reportedly occupied abandoned houses as cover to fire at Indian soldiers. The intrusion took place on the night of September 24 when a routine troop rotation was happening on the Indian side.
Strategically, Shala Bhata is very important as it overlooks Pakistan’s main line of communication to the northern stretches of the Line of Control.
“We’re taking this very seriously,” said senior Government officials on the infiltration attempt in the Keran sector of Jammu & Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Army said troops in Kashmir were engaged in continuous firing with a very ‘large group of infiltrators from across the border’ for over a week. But has, however, ruled out that the Pakistani troops have captured any Indian posts or villages.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Army headquarters in Srinagar, Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh, Commander of the 15th Corps, said the Army was heavily engaged with a group of 30-40 terrorists for the ninth day.
Singh claimed that around 10 to 12 terrorists were killed in the first three days of the encounter. He, however, said a fresh infiltration attempt on Tuesday night had resulted in a fresh exchange of fire.
Singh said as the area is at a height of nearly 10,000 feet with dense forests and thick undergrowth and weather unpredictable, challenges are being faced.
Source : Niti Central
