Defence Minister to visit Siachen, Srinagar today

In his first trip as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on Monday will visit the Siachen Glacier –- the world’s most dangerous battlefield — to meet the soldiers guarding the border beyond the heights of 12,000 feet.

Singh, to be accompanied by Army Chief General BipinRawat,will also visit the headquarters of the Army’s 14 Corps in Leh and 15 Corps inSrinagar, official sources said.

   

Top commanders of the Army will brief the Defence Ministerabout overall security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistanand apprise him about the anti-militancy operations in Kashmir, they said.

Singh will first arrive at the high altitude Thoise airfieldin Ladakh from where he will travel to an operational base and then go to theSiachen Glacier where he will interact with Army’s field commanders andsoldiers.

The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range is known as thehighest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battlefrostbite and high winds.

Avalanches and landslides are common at the Glacier duringthe winters and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.

According to official figure, the Army lost 163 personnel atthe world’s highest battlefield during the last 10 years. India and Pakistanstarted deploying troops at the strategically key Glacier in 1984.

Sources said the defence minister will be given detailed andspecific presentations at 14 Corps and 15 corps relating to India’spreparedness to deal with any possible eventualities and misadventure byPakistan.

The Army’s 14 Corps guards the Line of Actual Control withChina as well as the Line of Control with Pakistan. The Srinagar-based 15 Corpis mainly tasked with carrying out anti-militancy operations in the Kashmirvalley. The defence minister is scheduled to return toNew Delhi on Monday evening.

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