The Army's northern command chief Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh celebrated Diwali with troops deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) and lauded their unwavering dedication to duty, selfless devotion and high standard of professionalism.

Lt. Gen Singh, accompanied by White Knight Corps Commander Lt. Gen Paramjit Singh, visited forward posts in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir to convey Diwali greetings to the troops on Wednesday, a defence spokesman said.

Amid high alert, Army jawans and BSF personnel deployed along the LoC and the International Border (IB) lit up the borderline on Diwali.

The Army commander distributed sweets among Army and Border Security Force (BSF) troops and complimented them for their unwavering dedication to duty, selfless devotion and high standard of professionalism.

The northern command chief appreciated the high morale of the troops who are away from their near and dear ones.

He also complimented soldiers for measures and standard operating procedures instituted by the units and formations in their area of responsibility to minimise the casualties due to ceasefire violations and infiltration bids.

The Army commander exhorted all ranks to remain vigilant to counter the nefarious designs of anti-national elements and to ensure a robust counter-infiltration and counter-terrorist grid to enable continued peace and stability in the region.

Lt. Gen Y K Joshi, general-officer-commanding of Fire and Fury Corps, interacted with troops deployed in sub-zero temperatures in the rugged and mountainous terrains in Western Ladakh on the Diwali-eve.

Indian and Pakistani armies Tuesday exchanged sweets and greetings on the eve of Diwali along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.

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