Lt Gen Devraj Anbu new chief of Northern Command

NEW DELHI: Lt Gen Devraj Anbu was today appointed as new chief of strategically important Northern Command in place of Lt Gen D S Hooda, who retires this month end.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the name of Anbu for the post of General Officer-in-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) with effect from December 1.

Udhampur-based Northern Command is a strategically important army formation which overlooks the functioning of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Jammu-based 16-corps and Leh-based 14-Corps.

Anbu was posted as the Corps Commander of Tezpur-based 4 Corps. His last posting in Jammu and Kashmir was as a Brigadier in 2008-09.

He takes over at a time when exchange of fire along the Line of Control has been happening quite frequently especially after the Indian army carried out surgical strikes on September 29 this year killing at least 19 Lashker-e-Taiba militants inside the territory in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

Lt Gen Anbu Commissioned in the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980 has had a distinguished military career in which he has executed important Command and Staff appointments in India and abroad.

He has participated in Indian Peace Keeping Operations (IPKF) in Sri Lanka, United Nations Peace Keeping in Namibia, Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorist operations in Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.

He was awarded the Sena Medal Gallantry for operation in Siachen Glacier.

The General has also been awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Yudh Seva Medal for his distinguished service.