Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi to visit Jammu today, review security situation

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi will visit Jammu on Saturday to review the security situation, officials said.

He will be briefed by the formation commanders on the areas being taken by the security forces. A security review meeting with other security agencies is also likely to be held.

The Army chief’s visit will come after four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on July 16.

This will be the Army chief’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir. On July 3, he visited the Poonch-Rajouri sector to review the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC).

General Upendra Dwivedi took over the command of the Indian Army on June 30. The 30th Chief of the Indian Army belongs to the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and was Vice Chief of Army Staff from February this year.

In view of the infiltration of highly trained Pakistani terrorists in the Jammu region, the Indian Army is readjusting its deployments in the area as per intelligence inputs and security requirements.

The Indian Army has deployed around 500 Para Special Forces commandos in the area to hunt down the 50-55 terrorists from Pakistan who have entered the region to revive terrorism there, defence sources told ANI.

The intelligence agencies have also bolstered their apparatus in the area and are working to take out the terrorist support infrastructure there, including overground workers who support terrorists, they said.

The Army has already brought in troops to the area including one brigade strength of around 3,500-4000 personnel, to counter Pakistan’s proxy aggression here, they said.

The Army brass on the ground has been working towards strategies to search and destroy the terrorists, who are equipped with the latest weaponry and communication equipment, they added.

The Army already has an existing counter-terrorist infrastructure in the area with presence of two forces of the Rashtriya Rifles, including the Romeo and Delta forces along with other regular infantry divisions in the area, they said.

Earlier, on July 15, based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by the Indian Army and the JK Police was in progress in the area north of Doda.

Four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on July 16.