Army Chief briefs Antony on Keran ops

Meeting comes at a time when Army operation in the Keran sector has come under scrutiny with several loopholes being cited in their conduct there

Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh today met Defence Minister A K Antony and is expected to have briefed him about the 15-day long operations in the Keran sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting between the two took place in the Army Research and Referral Hospital where the Defence Minister is recuperating after a recent prostate surgery.

The Army chief met the Defence Minister for almost an hour this morning soon after attending the Territorial Army Day parade in the cantonment area here, sources in the Army said.

Gen Singh's meeting with Antony comes at a time when Army operation in the Keran sector has come under scrutiny with several loopholes being cited in their conduct there.

The Army is also likely to order an inquiry into the operations to find out if there was any mistake committed by the troops and commanders there.

The four-day Army Commanders' Conference starting October 21 is also expected to discuss various aspects of the entire operation.

The Army is also expected to discuss the need for evolving strategies to tackle such infiltration attempts from across the Line of Control and the International Border.

The level of infiltration is expected to go up in the near future with the proposed withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan.

The meeting is also expected to discuss growing activities of Pakistan Army special forces in the border areas and their increasing attempts to infiltrate and attack Indian Army patrols.