IAF ready to assist Army in Keran operations: Chief

Indian Air Force is ready to assist Army in its operations against heavily-fortified infiltrators in Keran sector of Kashmir, IAF boss Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said today even as he termed the ongoing episode "small and localised".
"We are all monitoring it (the situation). It's a very small and localised operation. They (army) have UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
"All the means are fully available with army. If they still need some assistance, we are there to provide it. There is no problem," Browne told journalists during the annual interaction with media on Air Force Day.
Army was fully capable of dealing with the situation, the IAF chief said, while suggesting it was unlikely that IAF would be asked to get involved.

"Air Force does not get into things like this (Keran operations). Air Force gets into things which are much, much bigger," he said.
He echoed Army Chief General Bikram Singh's views that it is a localised operation where some infiltrators have been cornered in the Valley.

Browne, who is also Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, agreed with security concerns over the increasing violations along the Line of Control and said there have been far more cases this year than in the last two-three years.
"Yes, there is increased intensity in the amount of LoC violations this year. I mean this is there for the whole world to see... Sanctity of ceasefire on LoC must be maintained," he said.

"In some years, there is less activity, in some years there is more. It's been a little excessive as the routes will close down very shortly, once the snow sets in. So, frenetic efforts are made in this period to push in as many infiltrators as possible," he said.