Keran operation lesson passed down to local level: General Bikram Singh

Commenting on anti- infiltration operation undertaken by the Indian Army in the Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir in September last year, Army Chief General Bikram Singh on Monday said the lessons derived from that operation have been passed down to the local level.

"The Keran Operation was carried out on a tactical level. It was analyzed in detail by the Northern Command, 15 Corps and 28 Mountain Division. It was an infiltration attempt which was stopped by our forces," said General Singh, who was addressing his annual press conference here today.

"The action was taken by the soldiers, patrols and the units in the fog, and lessons were derived, about the process in which effective command and control have to ensure and identify who is friend and who is foe," he said.

He added that these lessons have been passed on to local level. He said in the fog, you don't know who the person besides you is. "Whether it is your colleague or enemy, you don't know," he said.

"But ultimately, eight terrorists were killed and 60 ammunitions were recovered in this operation," he added.

In October 2013, around 30 to 40 heavily armed fighters had crossed the LoC (Line of Control) in the Keran sector and had remained holed up for nearly nine days in thick forests skirting the area.

The army launched a massive anti- infiltration operation in Shalbhatti village in Keran Sector after noticing a group of militants. The operation ended with eight terrorists being killed in the operation.