Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 23: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today held high level review of security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with top Army Commanders after they couldn’t fly to Drass in Kargil district of Ladakh region to pay tribute to 1999 Kargil war martyrs, in whose memory the nation will celebrate July 26 as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’.
Parrikar and Suhag reached Srinagar this morning but were held up at Badami Bagh Cantonment, the headquarters of 15 Corps, as the helicopter, which had to take them to Kargil for flying to Drass, which had witnessed intense fight between the troops of India and Pakistan in 1999 summer before India won the war by pushing back Pakistani troops, couldn’t fly due to adverse weather conditions at Drass.
Parrikar and Suhag, who along with Northern Army Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda were scheduled to fly to Drass, waited for over two hours at Badami Bagh Cantonment before flying back to New Delhi as weather forecast for Kargil and Drass predicted no respite in bad condition for rest of the day.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Defence Minister and the Army chief were briefed in detail about security situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir especially along the Line of Control (LoC), which had recently witnessed several ceasefire violations and mortar shelling in which a BSF jawan and a civilian were killed while several other civilians and two BSF jawans were injured.
Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda and Srinagar based 15 Corps GOC Lt Gen Subrata Saha gave extensive briefing to the Defence Minister and the Army chief on the situation prevailing on the LoC including steps taken by the Army to thwart infiltration attempts by the militants and give effective response to ceasefire violations.
Sources said Parrikar asked the Army officials to strengthen presence along the LoC to plug all infiltration routes and ensure that the militants didn’t manage to sneak-in to cause disturbances. He lauded the troops for foiling majority of infiltration attempts on the LoC despite covering fire given by Pakistani troops in some of the cases to the infiltrators.
The Defence Minister directed the troops to further strengthen counter-militancy and counter-infiltration grids within the State and LoC to curb the militants and didn’t allow them to carry out any terror strikes, which they were trying hard. He called upon the troops to have better coordination with all security agencies operating in Jammu and Kashmir to keep the militants at bay.
Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag also reviewed latest situation on the LoC including infiltration attempt by the militants in which a number of infiltrators have been killed and expressed satisfaction over the fact that the troops haven’t allowed the intrusion bids to succeed.
The Northern Army Commander and the GOC Srinagar based 15 Corps gave detailed briefing to the Defence Minister and the Army chief on number of militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir and those waiting across the LoC to infiltrate into this side and measures being taken by the troops to foil infiltration bids.
Meanwhile, a wreath laying ceremony was held at Drass War Memorial with Lt General S K Patyal, the General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 14 Corps, who had taken over charge of the Corps only yesterday from Lt Gen BS Negi, paying floral tributes to the martyrs.
Army has planned elaborate celebrations to mark the 15th anniversary of the Vijay Diwas — victory in Kargil War — this weekend.
The families of the martyrs and the soldiers who took part in the operation have been invited for the three-day celebrations beginning on July 24.
The main function would be held on July 26 at Drass, Kargil.
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