Rajouri (J&K)/IBNS: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday took stock of the operational preparedness of the Indian Army and the security situation along the border during his visit to the Army Base Camp in Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi were present during the review meeting.

Rajnath Singh also paid homage to the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service to the nation in Rajouri on May 05, 2023. “Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he said.

Five soldiers were martyred in a terror attack in the Kandi forest area in Rajouri on Friday morning.

The army identified them as Havildar Neelam Singh from Akhnoor, Naik Arvind Kumar from Palampur, Lance Naik Ruchin Singh Rawat from Gairsain in Uttarakhand, Paratrooper Siddhant Chettri from Darjeeling, and Paratrooper Pramod Negi from Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh.

A similar attack was carried out by terrorists on April 20 in which five soldiers were killed.

The defence minister interacted with the soldiers and commended their valour and zeal while operating in challenging situations.

He asserted that the nation feels secure because of the unmatched courage, commitment, and constant vigil of the soldiers of the Indian Army in difficult areas.

He motivated them to continue working with the same dedication and bravery, stating that the government and the people of the country are with the Armed Forces always.