SRI NAGAR: Army Chief General Bikram Singh, who arrived here on Saturday, asked soldiers and officers to respect human rights and avoid collateral damage during anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Army Chief arrived here for a farewell visit to the strategically important 15 Corps, named Chinar Corps. “For the Army Chief, this is like homecoming to the Valley as he has commanded the 15 Corps for a year from November 25, 2008, to November 30, 2009,” a defence spokesman said.
Singh will be retiring on July 31 and Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag will take over reigns of the Army.
During his day-long visit to the state, the Army Chief paid homage at the War Memorial at Badamibagh Cantonment in Srinagar, headquarters of the 15 Corps.
He interacted with top army officials and discussed the prevailing security situation in the state with them. He was briefed about the measures being taken to stop infiltration and ensure peace in the Valley.
Later, while addressing the men and officers, the Army Chief complimented 15 Corps for ensuring a secure environment in Jammu and Kashmir, which is battling militancy.
The soldiers should uphold the law of land and respect human rights of the people, he said.
“The men and officers should ensure that no collateral damage takes place during anti-militancy operations,” Singh said and stressed on the need for people-friendly operations.
He also highlighted the initiatives being undertaken for capability augmentation of the armed forces and welfare measures.
The Army Chief along with Northern Command chief Lt Gen D S Hooda and GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here and discussed the matters relating to the prevailing security situation in the state.