Nothing can deter our forces: Chief of Defence Staff

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat during his visit to Kibithu in Anjaw district on Saturday. PTI

New Delhi, January 2 : Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Saturday visited several frontline air bases in forward areas near the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh and undertook a detailed review of India’s overall military preparedness in the region amid the nearly eight-month-long Sino-India standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Official sources said Gen Rawat interacted with personnel of the Special Frontier Force (SFF), the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) deployed in the “forward most” posts in Dibang valley and Lohit sector of Arunachal Pradesh and complimented them for maintaining effective surveillance and operational readiness in the region.

“Nothing can deter the Indian Armed Forces from remaining steadfast in their call for duty,” a source quoted the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as saying during one of the interactions. The sources said Gen Rawat would visit several other key bases in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday as well to gain first-hand experience of the security scenario. Most of the forward locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are currently under the grip of severe cold wave with temperatures dropping to sub-zero level.

The Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have significantly bolstered their combat readiness in all key formations along the LAC, including in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, in view of the border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. The sources said the CDS complimented the soldiers for the innovative measures adopted to maintain effective surveillance and enhanced operational readiness. — PTI