New Delhi: Newly appointed Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Siachen, the highest militarised zone in the world, on Monday to meet the armed forces troops posted there. In his first visit since assuming office in the new government, Singh will also interact with army personnel in Srinagar.
On his day-long visit, Singh was accompanied by Army chief General Bipin Rawat and other senior officials from the Ministry of defence, ANI reported. The Defence Minister will take stock of the routine operations, including air support provided by the Indian Air Force.
Visited a forward post and Siachen base camp today and interacted with the Army personnel serving in this region which is also known as the ‘the highest battle field in the world’. pic.twitter.com/Ns8uFpK4TT — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 3, 2019
Army personnel, including General Officer Commanding-in-chief of the Northen Command Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh and Kargil war hero Lieutenant General YK Joshi, are expected to brief the defence minister about the security situation in the region.
Expressing gratitude towards the Army personnel and their families for thei service to the nation, Singh said in a tweet, "I am proud of all Army personnel serving in Siachen who are leaving no stone unturned to defend our motherland. I am also proud of their parents who have sent their children to serve the nation by joining the Armed forces. I will personally send a thank you note to them."
Paid tributes to the martyred soldiers who sacrificed their lives while serving in Siachen. More than 1100 soldiers have made supreme sacrifice defending the Siachen Glacier. The nation will always remain indebted to their service and sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/buWxgv6Nmg — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 3, 2019
After taking charge of his office on Saturday, Singh had immediately held a meeting with the top military brass. He asked the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to prepare separate presentations on the challenges and overall functioning of their respective forces.
On Monday, Singh first arrived at the high altitude Thoise airfield in Ladakh from where he travelled to an operational base and then went to the Siachen Glacier.
The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range is the highest battlefield in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Avalanches and landslides are common at the glacier during the winters and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.
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