Manohar Parrikar to soldiers in Uri: Stay alert to give befitting reply

Parrikar and Army chief General Dalbir Singh arrived in Srinagar in the afternoon and left for Uri, where they interacted with soldiers and reviewed the situation, especially on the LoC, where ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces has been persistent of late. Parrikar had visited Srinagar a day after the attack on the Uri camp on September 18. This is the Defence Minister’s first visit to the Valley after the Army’s surgical strikes along the LoC on September 29.

In Uri, Parrikar was briefed by formation commanders about the situation on the LoC, as also about infiltration and cross-border firing, a defence ministry spokesperson said. “The minister, along with senior Army officers, visited the frontier area of Uri, where they were briefed by the local commanders about the situation on the LoC. The minister also interacted with the troops deployed in the forward areas over tea,” the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, Parrikar complimented the soldiers for their valour and fortitude, and said they were the nation’s pride. “He impressed upon the soldiers to remain in a very high state of alert to give a befitting response to any misadventure from across (the border),’’ the spokesperson said.

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Parrikar chaired a high-level meeting at 15 Corps headquarters, where he was briefed on the latest internal security situation and all security measures initiated by the Army and other security agencies along the Line of Control as well as the hinterland. The minister is likely to attend another function in Budgam district on Thursday.