SRINAGAR -- On a visit to Kashmir amid unrest, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh on Tuesday asked the forces to exercise maximum possible restraint while dealing with mobs and uphold human rights.
He also made an earnest appeal to the people to eschew violence and help restore peace and calm at the earliest.
The army chief, who was in Kashmir a day ahead of the visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, travelled to south Kashmir, the epicentre of the ongoing unrest, and was briefed by officials about the situation.
"Following his previous visit only a month ago, the chief of army staff was in the Valley again for review of the security situation," an army official said.
He appreciated the professionalism with which the troops had been operating in full synergy with other security and civil agencies to keep the situation under control, the official said.
"The army chief impressed upon everyone to uphold human rights and exercise maximum possible restraint while dealing with the protesting mobs," the official said.
The general also directed to ensure measures "to prevent armed terrorists who jeopardise the lives of innocent civilians from moving with impunity".
Lauding the humanitarian steps, General Singh reinforced the need to synergise efforts with all the other stakeholders.
Accompanied by the Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda, the army chief also visited formations on the Line of Control and units in North Kashmir.
"He was briefed on the operational preparedness besides the recent successful counter infiltration operations in which over ten terrorists have been eliminated over the past one month," the official said.
Commending the alertness of all troops deployed along the Line of Control in foiling the nefarious designs of inimical forces, Gen Singh stressed upon the need to continue high degree of vigil and operational focus, he said.
Later, the Army Chief visited the headquarters of the 15 Corps at Badamibagh Cantonment here where he was briefed by the Northern Army and Chinar Corps Commanders on the numerous initiatives undertaken by the Army all across the Valley to constructively engage with the people towards their well being and an early return of normalcy.
Photos: A Last Look At Andaman's Only Swimming Elephant
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Open Image ModalANDAMAN ISLANDS, BAY OF BENGAL - UNSPECIFIED DATE ***EXCLUSIVE***:***STRICTLY NO INTERNET USE***Rajan the elephant walks out of the Bay Of Bengal. Gliding gracefully beneath crystal clear waters this Asian bull elephant cuts a memerising figure. Weighing a hefty 3.5 tons and standing at a whopping four metres tall, Rajan is the last swimming elephant of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Dive tour operators and underwater photographers Jacqueline Russell and Jake Ziegler spent one week swimming and photographing the mammoth beast, capturing these stunning images. 'It was our first time in the Andaman Islands and to swim with Rajan was an incredible experience,' said Bristol-born Jacqueline. Aged 59, Rajan was originally taken to the islands for logging in the forests before it was banned in 2002. He has now become a tourist attraction on Havelock island and amazes visitors as he exercises in the ocean. Like most mammals, elephants are superb swimmers, able to go for long distances without tiring. Their huge bulk and colossal lungs give them excellent buoyancy. The handy addition of a natural snorkel - their long trunks - lets them swim with their mouths below the surface. Thanks to her meticulous planning, Jacqueline and Jake were able to spend three days submerged with the gentle giant in swimming. 'Rajan does not like to swim every day as he is getting on in years now, so we planned ahead of time to book Rajan for the whole week so he did not get tired or swim with anyone else,' revealed Jacqueline. 'But Rajan was amazing and he gladly obliged and swam with us on all three days. (Photo by Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)
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