File photo of Indian Army soldiers at Siachen. (Photo: Facebook/ADGPI – Indian Army)
Jammu: In order to check the casualties caused by the snow avalanches at Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world, Army has inducted a special rescue force, ‘Avalanche Panthers, Mountain Rescuers’ to respond in case of an emergency.
The ‘Avalanche Panthers, Mountain Rescuers’ is a highly skilled force with in-depth knowledge, adaptability with local terrain and weather conditions, and capability to respond in the shortest possible time for rescue operations, especially in glaciated terrain, an army spokesman said.
The force was inducted by the General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command, Lt Gen D Anbu who visited the camp on Wednesday.
The force, raised on December 6 last at Siachen Base Camp, consists mainly of the troops from the Ladakh Scouts, who being the ‘Sons of the Soil’ are well adapted, to terrain and weather conditions prevalent in this high altitude region.
Lt Gen D Anbu visited the forward Siachen posts where he was accompanied by the Corps Commander of the 14-corps, Lt Gen P J S Pannu.
While interacting with the troops in the super high altitude posts, the Army commander appreciated their work in challenging and inhospitable terrain.
He was also briefed on the Operational preparedness and security situation in the region by the Corps Commander and other Commanders on ground.