Pak Army Chief Says 'Fully Prepared To Respond To Direct, Indirect Threats'

Islamabad: In the wake of terror attack in Uri, Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif today met his top commanders and said that the military was "watchful" towards the security imperatives of the country and was "fully prepared to respond to entire spectrum of direct and indirect threat".

The Corps Commanders' Conference - held in Rawalpindi and chaired by General Sharif - reviewed external and internal security situation and operational preparedness of the army, the Pakistan Army said in a statement.

"Taking note of a hostile narrative being propagated by India, COAS (Gen Sharif) said that we are fully cognizant and closely watching the latest happenings in the region and their impact on the security of Pakistan," the statement said.

"Armed forces of Pakistan are fully prepared to respond to entire spectrum of direct and indirect threat," he said, expressing his satisfaction over operational preparedness of the army.

"Pakistan's armed forces together with our resilient nation have surmounted every challenge and will thwart any sinister design against integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan in future as well," General Sharif said during the meeting.

Heavily-armed terrorists stormed a battalion headquarters of the Indian Army in North Kashmir's Uri town in the wee hours of Sunday, killing 18 jawans and injuring 19 others. All four terrorists were killed.

It was the worst attack on the Indian Army in many years.

India's DGMO Lt General Ranbir Singh has said that all the four killed terrorists were foreigners and had carried with them items which had Pakistani markings and that initial reports indicated that they belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-E-Mohammed terrorist group.