Army chief for maintaining strict guard in J&K

Jammu, April 24 (IANS) Indian Army chief Gen. Bikram Singh Wednesday reviewed the preparedness of counter-insurgency grids in the Jammu region and exhorted troops not to lower their guard, even though people say militancy has declined.

Gen. Singh made these remarks while visiting the Rashtriya Rifles Headquarters at Dharmund and Sila as part of his visit to its 16 Corps.

These troops are responsible for guarding the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan, and deals with anti-terrorism operations in the hinterland.

He was briefed on the current situation by the respective local army commanders.

During his two-day visit that concluded Wednesday afternoon, according to a defence ministry spokesman, Gen. Singh reviewed the security scenario and discussed various issues related to the Armed Forces with formation commanders.

He also interacted with troops deployed on the Line of Control as well as those on counter-insurgency duties.

"The chief complimented them on their selfless sacrifice in ensuring the sanctity of our frontiers and in facilitating the return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir," the spokesman said, adding that the chief exhorted troops to uphold the core values of the Indian Army.

Earlier, Gen. Sigh met the governor as well as the chief minister of the state and discussed the overall situation.

He returned to New Delhi later in the afternoon.