Will visit Siachen, Leh, forward posts
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 28: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on her first two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow to review situation along the borders with Pakistan and China with top Army Commanders. She would visit forward Army posts along Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world.
Sitharaman, who is first full-time woman Defence Minister of the country and had taken charge of the Ministry only few days back from Arun Jaitley, would proceed to Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, tomorrow morning from New Delhi and chair a meeting of top Army Commanders, sources told the Excelsior.
Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat is likely to accompany the Defence Minister from New Delhi while Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu and General Officers Commanding (GOCs) would be present at the meeting of the Army Commanders, which the Defence Minister would chair in Srinagar to review security situation in the Kashmir valley, Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
Security forces have launched ‘Operation All Out’ in Kashmir against the militants in which top commanders of various militant outfits and their cadre have been eliminated while many others have been arrested or have surrendered themselves.
“Situation on anti-militancy front in the Valley and LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, where Pakistan has been abetting infiltration attempts by the militants regularly in Baramulla and Kupwara sectors and ceasefire violations in Rajouri and Poonch districts, was likely to dominate the Defence Minister’s meeting with the Army Commanders,” sources said.
Sitharaman would also visit forward posts on the LoC in Kashmir for on spot assessment and review of the situation and meet Army troops deployed in the forward posts. She would inter-act with Field Commanders of Army in the forward posts.
On September 30, the Defence Minister would visit Siachen Glacier and meet the Army Commanders to acquaint herself with situation prevailing there. Army troops had to face extreme hostile weather conditions at Siachen Glacier, located at the height of 18,875 feet from sea level.
Though, for the past several years Indo-Pak troops haven’t exchanged bullets at Siachen Glacier, the casualties there take place sometimes due to snow avalanches. Troops have been defending strategically very significant Siachen Glacier despite tough weather conditions.
The Defence Minister is likely to review situation along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh at Leh with the top Army Commanders before returning to New Delhi in the evening of September 30.
India has been attaching significant importance to LAC with China in all five States by giving boost to infrastructure and equipping Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) with latest weapons and other equipments to match strength of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Recently, Sino-Indian troops had a scuffle along LAC on the banks of Pangong lake but the issue was resolved at the local level. Incursion attempts by the PLA in Eastern Ladakh have come down considerably but the Centre was not taking any chance and has initiated series of measures to give fillip to infrastructure and equip troops along the China borders.
The Defence Minister’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir comes close on the heels of several successful operations by the Army against militants in Kashmir and tensions along LoC and IB in Jammu region due to heavy shelling and firing by Pakistan and effective retaliation by Indian troops.
Only a day before, security forces had gunned down Lashkar e- Islam chief, Abdul Qayoom Najjar, in an encounter near Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Baramulla district in Kashmir.
He was trying to infiltrate from Lachipora in Uri when he was gunned down. He carried a reward of Rs 10, 00,000 on his head.
Najjar was the senior most active commander and thus the de-facto operational chief of Hizb.
The Army had foiled an infiltration bid by Pakistan near Zorawar area of Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir and prevented a 18 September, 2016 Uri-like attack.
Follow our WhatsApp channel