Massive infiltration bid in Keran sector foiled: Army

A massive infiltration bid by terrorists backed by suspected Pakistani special forces, the biggest after the 1999 Kargil fiasco, was foiled by the Indian army which today called off its 15-day-long major operation in Keran sector along the LoC in Kashmir.
"I have now given direction to call off the concerted search (in Keran sector). But our counter-infiltration deployment is being strengthened. We are now going to launch operations which are intelligence based, which are surveillance based so that we can eliminiate and meet the challenges," General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army's Northern Command Lt General Sanjiv Chachra told reporters here.

The Army has been maintaining that it has been on a concerted search operation in Keran sector for the last 15 days after it foiled a major infiltration attempt by terrorists backed by suspected Pakistan special forces last month.
Lt Gen Chachra, who arrived in the Valley on a four-day visit on Saturday, said there was attempt to infiltrate at multiple points in the Keran sector.
Earlier in the day, Army chief Gen Bikram Singh said the infiltration bid by terrorists in Keran sector has been foiled. "It was a desperate infiltration bid, which has been foiled," Gen Singh told reporters at Hindon air base on the sidelines of the Air Force Day parade.

Lt. Gen Chachra said, "We had very specific intelligence of their operation. We knew where they were and we were prepared for it. Some of these infiltration attempts have been eliminated and some of them have been foiled."
He said eight terrorists have been killed and 59 weapons including 18 AK rifles and war-like stores captured.