Parrikar meets troops at Siachen base camp

Srinagar, May 22

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today conducted an aerial survey of northern glacier Siachen and interacted with troops at the base camp.

Accompanied by Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, the Defence Minister landed at Thoise in Ladakh region this morning as he began his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation in the state.

Defence sources said the Minister then flew in helicopter to the Siachen base camp where he laid a wreath at the War memorial. He interacted with the troops and praised their courage and devotion to duty.

The Defence Minister, who is on his second visit to Jammu and Kashmir since assuming charge of the ministry in November last year, was also briefed by senior army officials about the situation in the region, they said.

Parrikar conducted an aerial survey of the Northern Glacier which includes the Siachen, the sources said.

He later went to Leh where General Officer Commanding of the Army's 14 Corps briefed him about the situation along the Line of Actual Control on the Chinese side and the Line of Control along the Pakistani side, the sources said.

The Defence Minister is scheduled to arrive here later in the day and hold meetings with Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for reviewing the security situation along the borders and in the hinterland in the state.

Parrikar will fly to Jammu tomorrow morning and visit forward posts in Poonch sector. He will also be briefed by senior army officials about the security situation in Jammu region. 

The minister arrived at Leh Airport, where he was briefed by Lt Gen B S Negi, GOC, 14 Corps on the overall security situation in the Corps Zone and along the LAC, a Defenc spokesperon said in a release.

Later in the day, he visited Srinagar, where he was briefed by Lt Gen Subrata Saha, GOC, 15 Corps on measures being taken by the Indian Army to prevent infiltration and the operations being undertaken in the area, the spokesperson said.

Operation Sadbhavna and various welfare activities by the Indian Army in the state were also highlighted during the briefing, he added.

He along with the Chief of the Army Staff would be visiting the  Nagrota based White Knight Corps tomorrow. — PTI