New Delhi: Just days after the tragic deaths of three civilians who were among eight allegedly picked up by a group of soldiers and tortured in Poonch, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to Jammu Wednesday and held a full security review.
As well as meeting with the Army, the minister also travelled to the village of Topa Peer in Poonch’s Bufliaz and met with the families of the three dead civilians.
He promised an expeditious investigation into the incident that would culminate in the delivery of justice, a statement by the defence ministry said.
The minister also interacted with the troops and paid tributes to the soldiers killed in action as a result of an ambush by terrorists last Thursday.
He wished the injured soldiers a speedy recovery, emphasising that all necessary measures were being taken in view of the prevailing situation.
After this, he took stock of the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and carried out a first-hand assessment of the prevailing situation as well as the counter-terror operations in the area.
He was accompanied by Army chief Gen Manoj Pande and Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi.
He was given a detailed brief on the prevalent security situation, counter-infiltration grid and operational preparedness.
Singh discussed aspects associated with the operating challenges with the commanders on the ground and called for “professional conduct and due diligence while carrying out operations”.
“The Indian Army is not an ordinary army. The soldiers are our protectors. It is their duty to not only safeguard national interests, but also to win the hearts of the people,” the minister said in his interaction with the soldiers.
He asked the troops to remain extra vigilant, so that no untoward incident occurs in future, reiterating that there should be zero tolerance towards terrorism.
He described the incidents in the sector as unfortunate and asked all ranks to undertake operations based on hard intelligence, in accordance with established procedures aided by niche technology.
He urged all commanders to have zero tolerance for violations of the well-established SOPs (standard operating procedures.
On 25 December, Army chief Gen Pande had visited the troops in Poonch and exhorted all ranks of the Army to conduct operations in the most professional manner while remaining resolute and steadfast against all challenges.
He had also underscored the commitment of the Army to respecting human rights and zero tolerance for violations in any form.
(Edited by Rohan Manoj)