By IANS,
New Delhi: Defence Minister A.K. Antony Saturday arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on a two-day visit to review the security situation in the border state.
Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh and Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma are accompanying Antony to Srinagar, a defence ministry spokesperson said.
The minister is also scheduled to visit forward areas in the state close to the Line of Control with Pakistan, and interact with the troops.
“Apart from visiting forward areas and interacting with the troops, the minister will also meet with security top brass and civilian officials to discuss the present situation in the state. He will also attend a meeting of the unified headquarters to review the security situation. He will be briefed about the security measures and the ground situation in the state,” the official said.
Antony is also scheduled to meet Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. They are likely to discuss the issue of partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), an issue that will also figure at the unified headquarters meet.
The defence minister is visiting Srinagar and other parts of the state after a gap of one-and-half years.