Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Udhampur-headquartered Northern Command, on Monday, 17 August visited forward locations in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, to assess the operational preparedness of troops deployed in the sector. The visit underscores the Army's sustained focus on border vigilance along one of the most tactically sensitive stretches of the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

What the Army Commander Reviewed

During the visit, Lt Gen Sharma was briefed on the prevailing security situation, operational readiness, and the specific challenges posed by the rugged terrain of Poonch. He interacted directly with troops serving in forward areas, acknowledging their resilience in maintaining mission-readiness under demanding terrain and weather conditions.

According to the Northern Command's official post on social media platform X, the Army Commander 'emphasised the need to remain vigilant, foster synergy and continue adopting innovative approaches to effectively meet emerging security challenges.'

Northern Command's Strategic Mandate

The Northern Command is responsible for defending India's northern frontiers, managing deployments along both the LoC with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, and directing counter-terrorism and internal security operations across the region. Its area of responsibility spans the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and the LAC in Ladakh, including year-round operations on the Siachen Glacier.

Counter-infiltration duties — stopping terrorist infiltration attempts across the borders — and counter-insurgency operations within Jammu and Kashmir form a core part of the Command's mandate.

Key Formations Under Northern Command

The Command's operational structure comprises three corps. The XIV Corps (Fire and Fury Corps), based in Leh, oversees Ladakh and the LAC with China. The XV Corps (Chinar Corps), headquartered in Srinagar, manages the Kashmir Valley and counter-terrorism operations. The XVI Corps (White Knight Corps), based in Nagrota, guards the Jammu region up to the Pir Panjal range.

Additionally, the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) — a dedicated counter-terrorism force raised in 1990 and manned by Army personnel on deputation — operates in Jammu and Kashmir under the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA), maintaining public order across the region.

Significance of the Poonch Sector

Poonch has historically been among the most active sectors along the LoC, with frequent infiltration attempts and, in recent years, a series of ambushes targeting security forces in the district's forests and ridgelines. A senior commander's visit to forward posts in this sector signals continued institutional attention to ground-level readiness. Notably, such reviews typically follow periods of heightened threat perception or operational activity in the area.

The visit is part of the Army's ongoing cycle of command inspections aimed at sustaining combat effectiveness in high-altitude and rugged terrain, where troop morale and logistics remain as critical as tactical preparedness.