Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 1: Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, today stressed for high level of alertness and vigil along the Line of Control (LoC) to foil the nefarious designs of militants and their masters across.
While interacting with the troops and the Commanders at 19 Division headquarters in Baramulla and 28 Mountain Division in Kupwara, General Rawat stressed for alertness along the LoC to foil the infiltration attempts from across. He stressed for terminating infiltration attempts right on the LoC so that peace is restored in Kashmir.
Army chief this morning arrived in Baramulla and interacted with the civil society members in the area. As, he has served in the area as GOC 19 Division, large number of people of the area turned up and met him. He assured them full cooperation from the army.
Later, Army chief was briefed about the situation along the LoC and hinterland by the GOC 19 Division, Major General R P Kalita. He was told that Army along the LoC is alert to foil any nefarious designs of the enemy. He was also briefed about various steps taken by the Army in the Division to engage youth in various activities so that they don’t fall prey to militant designs.
Gen Rawat later visited 28 Mountain Division in Kupwara where he met the Army officers and troops who are deployed in the forward areas. The GOC 28 Division, Major General Harinder Singh briefed Army chief about the alertness of the troops despite adverse weather conditions.
Army chief before leaving for New Delhi visited Victor Force headquarters at Awantipora where he was briefed about the latest security situation in South Kashmir by the GOC Victor Force. He also briefed the Army chief about Army’s counter-insurgency operations in South Kashmir. The GOC told him that the focus of the troops is to conduct intelligence based operations so that there is no collateral damage.
Srinagar based Defence spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said here that chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat visited the Chinar Corps and took a review of the overall security situation.
Giving details of Army chief’s visit, Colonel Kalia said: “The Army chief arrived in Srinagar yesterday afternoon and was briefed by the Corps Comma-nder Lt Gen JS Sandhu on security as also the measures to meet the challenges posed by weather as were highlighted in the recent incidents of avalanches in the higher reaches of North Kashmir where 20 soldiers including an officer and a JCO lost their lives. Paying his tributes to the martyrs, Gen Rawat laid emphasis on the need to be constantly aware of the weather patterns prevailing in the area and take all necessary precautions to avoid any untoward incidents”.
“Accompanied by the Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D Anbu and Lt Gen JS Sandhu, the Army chief today visited LC formations in North Kashmir where he was briefed on the operational and logistical preparedness. Commending the alertness of all troops deployed along the LC in foiling the nefarious designs of inimical forces, he stressed upon the need to continue our endeavours in maintaining a high degree of vigil”, Col Kalia said.
“The General also visited the Victor Force Headquarters at Awantipur, where he was apprised of the latest situation in South Kashmir. He appreciated the professionalism with which the troops had been operating in full synergy with other security and civil agencies to keep the situation under control and impressed upon everyone to uphold human rights at all times”, the Defence spokesman said.
He said that the Army chief was also briefed upon the numerous initiatives undertaken by the Army all across the Valley to constructively engage with the people towards their well being. “Lauding such humanitarian steps, Gen Rawat reinforced the need to synergise efforts with all the other stakeholders”, he said.
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