Jammu: Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth on Friday reviewed operational preparedness and the security situation along the Line of Control and in the hinterland during a visit to forward areas and formations of the Chinar Corps under Northern Command.
During the visit, commanders briefed the Army Chief on the prevailing security environment, operational readiness and capability development initiatives.
He was also apprised of measures put in place to maintain a robust security posture along the LoC and preparedness for counter-terrorist operations in the hinterland.
Interacting with troops in operational areas, General Seth commended all ranks for maintaining a high state of vigilance across the operational spectrum.
He also reiterated the thrust areas of “VIJAY”, the five-point guiding framework for transforming the Indian Army into a future-ready force capable of responding at short notice across the full spectrum of operations.
The COAS also appreciated the close coordination between the Indian Army, civil administration, Central Armed Police Forces, Jammu & Kashmir Police and other security agencies in maintaining peace and stability.
At Tangdhar, General Seth visited the Advanced Surgical Eye Camp being conducted by the Army under Operation Drishti 2026 and interacted with patients who had undergone sight-restoring surgeries.
Doctors from the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) carried out over 200 sight-restoring surgeries during a two-day camp near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, an official spokesman said on Friday.
The spokesman said surgeons of the AFMS carried out 220 sight-restoring surgeries during the 10th edition of the mega eye surgery camp, held under Operation Drishti, at an underground operation theatre in Tangdhar in Kupwara — a shelling prone zone, along the LoC in north Kashmir on Thursday and Friday.
Most procedures were cataract surgeries, along with selective retinal procedures and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, he said.
The spokesman said Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited the camp during the period and interacted with patients and distributed medicines and gifts.
AFMS Director General Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja also visited the camp, appreciating the surgeons and the local team for their exceptional skills and efforts.
The camp was led by Head of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (Research and Referral), Delhi Cantonment, Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra, whose team carried advanced phacoemulsification (cataract-removal), vitreoretinal and glaucoma equipment across mountainous terrain, the spokesman said.
He said patients from Khawarpora, Tangdar, Tadd, Bagbela, Yangdar and neighbouring hamlets came after screening and a broadcast on Radio Rooh-e-Karnah, with the Army guiding each one from arrival to recovery.
AFMS’ series of mega surgical eye camps envisaged by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have, so far, screened over 1.50 lakh patients. Over 3,500 surgeries have been conducted across 10 cities, he said.
The spokesman further said the 11th camp in this series will be held in Srinagar from September 27 to 29. The formal closing ceremony will be attended by J-K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on September 30.
