Overcome challenges posed by enemy, terrorism: Army chief

Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag and GOC Leh Corps Lt Gen PJS Pannu during a visit to forward areas of Leh on Monday.
Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag and GOC Leh Corps Lt Gen PJS Pannu during a visit to forward areas of Leh on Monday.

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 26: Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today visited Icy heights of Siachen Glacier, Srinagar, Leh and Kargil, the frontiers with both Indian neighbours-Pakistan and China and reviewed the situation with top Army Commanders.
Gen Suhag, who will demit office on December 31 afternoon and handover the baton to Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, will inter-act with his successor on situation prevailing along country’s frontiers with Pakistan and China before hanging up his boots.
Lt Gen Rawat had the other day visited holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji and offered prayers to Goddess Vaishno Devi before taking over as the new Army chief. The Army chief designate had trekked 13 kilometers distance from Katra to Bhawan on foot to pay obeisance to the widely revered Goddess.
Sources told the Excelsior that General Officer Commanding (GOC) 14 Corps, headquartered at Leh, Lt Gen PJS Pannu and other top Commanders accompanied the Army chief on his visit to Kargil, Leh and Siachen Glacier, which have Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Pakistan and China respectively.
At Srinagar, Gen Suhag was briefed on the situation by GOC Chinar Corps (15) Lt Gen JS Sandhu and other senior Commanders of the Army.
Sources said the Army chief lauded courage and bravery of the troops, who were guarding the country’s frontiers at the height of 18,500 feet from sea level at Siachen Glacier and manning peaks along LoC with Pakistan in Kargil and Leh and LAC with China in Leh. He reviewed operational preparedness of the troops with top Army Commanders and their requirements.
The Army Chief was all praise for the troops manning the frontiers in the Icy heights, where temperatures dip to several degrees below minus during the winters. He assured that their all requirements will be met with.
The Army Chief interacted with the soldiers and complemented them for their professionalism, selfless commitment and loyalty.
He exhorted the troops to continue to work with zeal and dedication to overcome the challenges posed by weather, enemy and terrorism. He commended the synergy between all security agencies and civil administration in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gen Suhag described terrorism as major challenge before the Army, both along LoC and borders with Pakistan and hoped that the troops would continue to meet the challenge with all their might as they have done in the past.
He noted that LoC and LAC with Pakistan and China in Kargil, Leh and Siachen Glacier have been peaceful and no bullets have been exchanged for past several years though minor skirmishes do take place, which are resolved by the Field Commanders.
It may be mentioned here that Gen Suhag had visited Siachen Glacier soon after taking over as the Army chief in 2014 and he had planned to visit the Glacier before superannuating. Initially, the Army chief’s visit to Siachen Glacier had been planned for December 29 but it had to be preponed as Weather forecasts for that day was not good.
Gen Suhag is scheduled to visit Jammu in next couple of days.
It may be mentioned here that Siachen Glacier had been on top priority of Narendra Modi Government with Prime Minister and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar having visited the snow clad mountainous regions and directing the Army and Defence officials to keep visiting their regularly to ascertain requirements of the troops working there in sub zero temperatures.
India has Line of Control with Pakistan in Kargil, Leh and Siachen Glacier and Line of Actual Control with China in Leh, all of which are not demarcated. After 1999 Kargil war, the LoC with Pakistan in Kargil and Leh was generally peaceful. The LAC with China in Leh is also peaceful as the two sides haven’t exchanged bullets for years together but transgressions do take place due to un-demarcated boundary but they are resolved by the Field Commanders by meeting at Border Meeting Points (BMPs).

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here