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Indian Defense Minister visits Indian controlled Kashmir to review security

Xinhua, May 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday reviewed security situation in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The minister began his two-day visit by reaching Siachen glacier and held interactions with Indian military troopers deployed there, besides carrying out aerial survey of the area.

"Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar today visited Siachen Glacier, the highest battle field in the world," read a statement issued by Indian Defense Ministry. "The minister carried out an aerial survey of the Siachen Glacier to assess situation there."

Parrikar was accompanied by Indian military chief General Dalbir Singh.Siachen glacier is located at an altitude of 7,000 meters above the sea level in Ladakh division of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

It is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayan mountains on line of control (LoC) between India and Pakistan

Pakistan army too occupies part of the glacier.

There have been calls of demilitarization of the glacier from environmentalists, a demand rejected by New Delhi, which occupies major portion of the glacier.The treacherous sub zero climate at glacier costs millions of U.S. dollars in military expenditures for India and counted for scores of lives, more due to frostbite and high altitude sickness than combat action.

The minister reached Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir in the afternoon and held meetings with region' s Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, a government spokesman said.

"In a meeting held at the Raj Bhavan (Governor's office), later in the afternoon, the governor and Parrikar discussed various important matters relating to effective management of internal and external security," the spokesman said.

"Parrikar called on the chief minister in the evening and the two leaders discussed several strategic issues related to prevailing security situation."

The minister also reviewed security of the region by holding meetings with military officers and is likely to fly to Jammu on Saturday to hold similar meetings, reports said.

This is Parrikar's second visit to the region since he took over as Indian's defense ministry charge.

A separatist movement challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Militant groups are engaged in guerilla war with Indian troops in the region. Endi