Bad weather restricts Army Chief from visiting Poonch

Bad weather conditions restricted Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bikram Singh from visiting the border areas of Poonch today to review security situation.
Gen Singh, who arrived in Jammu this morning and took part in the wreath laying function at Technical Airport here, was scheduled to visit Poonch to review the security situation following the killing of five jawans along the LoC in a Pakistan Border Action Team attack yesterday.
Gen Singh left for Nagrota-based 16 Coprs headquarter along with senior commanders of various formations, where he was briefed by senior officers led by GoC-in-C Lt Gen Sanjeev Chachra and GOC, 16 Coprs Lt Gen D S Hooda about the current security situation and earlier incidents of firing and ceasefire violations.

In the afternoon, Gen Singh, along with senior officers tried to fly to Poonch but bad weather forced them to return to the Army's 10-Division headquarter at Akhnoor, an Army officer said.
Field commanders of Division and Brigade looking after the operational command of Poonch sector were called to Akhnoor by road and they brief the Army chief about the details of the attack and security situation arising after the killing of five jawans, he said, adding that the COAS left for Delhi later on.
A group of 20 heavily armed men led by Pakistani troops entered 450 metres inside Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector yesterday and ambushed a patrol killing five Indian jawans.

"A patrol of Indian Army comprising of one Non-Commissioned Officer and five other ranks was ambushed by a Pak Border Action Team close to the Line of Control in the Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday early morning," Defence spokesman, Jammu, S N Acharya said in an official statement.
"In the ensuing gunfight, five Indian soldiers were martyred. The ambush was carried out by approximately 20 heavily armed terrorists in Pak Army uniform," he said, adding that one soldier was injured.