Army chief reviews security in Valley

Army chief, Gen. Bipin Rawat on Saturday reviewed security in the Kashmir Valley, on his first visit after Governor's rule was imposed in the state, a defence official said.

The army chief "visited the Kashmir Valley today (Saturday) to review the prevailing security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and also in the hinterland", said Defence Ministry spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

The army chief, accompanied by the Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, and the Chinar Corps commander, Lt Gen. A.K. Bhatt, visited forward posts along the LoC in the frontier districts of Kupwara and Baramulla where he was briefed on all aspects of operational and logistical preparedness, he added.

"The Army Chief was appreciative of the measures and Standard Operating Procedures instituted by the units and formations to meet the challenges posed by the inimical elements.

Commending the performance of the troops in the recent successful operations, the Army Chief stressed the need to maintain the extra vigil to defeat the evil designs of hostile forces and assured his full support to furth er strengthen the security posture," said Kalia.

Rawat later called on Governor N.N. Vohra at Raj Bhavan here and discussed the overall security situation in the Valley.

--IANS

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