India exports coronavirus medicines, Pakistan terror, says General Naravane

Stating that Pakistan was exporting terror at a time when India is sending medicines to other countries to fight COVID-19 pandemic, Army Chief General MM Naravane Friday confirmed that eight positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed among Indian army.

“While India is sending out medical teams to other countries and exporting medicines, Pakistan is only exporting terror,” he told a selected group of reporters in frontier Kupwara district while concluding his two-day visit to Kashmir.

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While referring to recent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) by Pakistan Army, the General said it is unfortunate that while the world has got together to fight COVID-19, Pakistan has resorted to firing heavy calibre artillery and killing innocent Kashmiris to garner international attention.

Talking about the recent infiltration bid, he said earlier this month, a group of militants infiltrated into this side and there was an encounter in which a junior commissioned officer and four soldiers were killed.

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“We were able to foil the infiltration attempt. The operation was conducted in very difficult conditions amid snowfall in the area,” the Army Chief said. “The route infiltrators had taken would not have been possible without the support of the Pakistani army.”

He confirmed that there were eight positive COVID-19 cases among the Indian army. “So far, we have only eight positive cases in the entire Army, of which two are doctors, one nursing assistant,” he said.

General Naravane said that the morale of soldiers is very high despite lockdown. “Soldiers are doing an excelling job. I want to compliment them not only those who are in J&K but those guarding northern borders and northeast also,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the second day of his two-day visit to Kashmir, General Naravane continued to review the security situation along the LoC, a defence spokesperson said. “The Army Chief accompanied by the Northern Army Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi and Srinagar based 15 Corps Commander, Lt Gen BS Raju visited the formations and units, wherein the local Commanders briefed the army chief on the existing security situation and the measures instituted so that infiltration bids by terrorists are foiled.”

He said that the army chief was briefed by the local Commanders on the situation on the LoC, ceasefire violations, retaliation, counter-infiltration operations and operational preparedness being maintained.