Army chief to visit J&K amid surge in Pak firing along LoC

NEW DELHI: Army chief General M M Naravane will head to Kashmir on Thursday to review the operational situation and preparedness in the backdrop of the surge in ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts along the line of control, which comes at a time when both India and Pakistan are grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.
Gen Naravane in particular will be visiting the 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar and the 28 Infantry Mountain Division in Kupwara during his two-day tour to discuss the ongoing counter-infiltration and counter-terrorist operations with the commanders on the ground, said sources on Wednesday.
The visit comes soon after the recent spike in ceasefire violations (CFVs) along the 778-km LoC, with both the Indian and Pakistani armies deploying artillery guns and anti-tank guided missiles to target each other’s posts and locations, as was reported earlier by TOI.
The Indian Army on April 10 had used 105mm field guns as well as 155mm Bofors howitzers to target terror launch pads, ammunition dumps and gun positions in the Dudhniyal area opposite the Keran sector of Kupwara.
The Keran sector was also the site of the fierce close-quarter gun-battle in which five terrorists were killed on April 5. Five Indian Para-SF commandos, unfortunately, had also laid down their lives in the encounter after being air-dropped by helicopters in the snow-bound heights.
India has already recorded well over 1,200 CFVs this year, with 367 in January, 382 in February and 411 in March. Last year, there were as many as 3,479 CFVs and firings across the LoC and the 198-km international border in J&K, the highest number recorded since 2003