Army chief given powers to muster Territorial Army; Rajnath reviews security situation along western front
In the backdrop an escalating skirmish with Pakistan, the Indian Army Chief has been empowered to muster the Territorial Army, a reserve force, while Defence Minister Rajanth Singh on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation along the western border and operational preparedness of the Indian Armed forces.
The Ministry of Defence exercising powers under the Territorial Army Rule 1948 issued a notification saying the Army Chief can “call out every officer and every enrolled person of the Territorial Army to provide for essential guard or to be embodied for the purpose of supporting or supplementing the regular Army”
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This comes in the backdrop of the layered air defence mechanism stalling Pakistan’s barrage of missiles and drones. Last night, Pakistan launched attacks across the western front, threatening Indian military and civilian infrastructure.
At the meeting with the Minister were the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
Multiple attacks on Indian territory by Pakistan Armed Forces during the night (May 8-9) have been “effectively repulsed and a befitting reply was given,” the Indian Army said on Friday morning.
Pakistan launched multiple attacks using drones and other ammunition along the entire Western Border on the intervening night of May 8 and 9. Pakistan troops also resorted to numerous ceasefire violations (CFVs) along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The drone attacks were effectively repulsed and a befitting reply was given to the CFVs,” the Indian Army said. “We remain committed to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nation. All nefarious designs will be responded to with force,” the Army said on the social media platform X.
Pakistan on Thursday night escalated the military skirmish with India, clearly threatening to widen the conflict. The attacks continued till the early hours on Friday.
Pakistan tried to hit at several locations across north India and western India, which have been foiled. India has retaliated, and details are awaited.
