Pak Army Chief Visits LoC After Surgical Strike

Islamabad: Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif on Sunday visited the Line of Control for the first time since the surgical strike conducted by Indian troops across the LoC and expressed satisfaction over operational preparedness of the military.

The Pakistan Army said in a statement that Sharif visited the Haji Pir sector and interacted with troops deployed there. He was also given a detailed briefing by the local formation commander on operational preparedness of the units and formation of the troops, the statement added. The army chief expressed his complete satisfaction over high state of morale, operational preparedness and vigil being maintained by Pakistan Army personnel along the LoC, the army said.

Sharif’s visit comes over a week after Indian army chief General Dalbir Singh visited the Northern and Western Commands to review India’s operational preparedness along the border with Pakistan in the wake of heightened tension between the two countries following the surgical strike at terror camps across the LoC.

Indian troops launched the surgical strike on September 29 following the deadly Uri attack on September 18 in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed in the brazen assault launched by four Pakistani terrorists who were also eliminated in the counteroffensive by the army. Pakistan has denied the surgical strike by India but has claimed two of its soldiers were killed in alleged ceasefire violations along the LoC by Indian troops.

PTI