Lt. Gen. Cherish Mathson takes charge of Southwestern Command

Lt. Gen. Cherish Mathson took over the charge of the Army's Southwestern Command.

Lt. Gen. Mathson succeeds Lt. Gen. Abhay Krishna who has been appointed appointed as the head of the Army's Eastern Command.

Mathson, who was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in June 1980, has considerable experience in varied operational assignments including in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said in a statement.

He had commanded his battalion on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir during the 'Operation Parakram', besides serving two tenures in Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battlefield.

He had commanded an infantry division in southern theatre and later headed the elite Strike Corps as part of the Southern Command.