Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a rare visit to the Siachen glacier in the disputed Kashmir region Thursday to rally the morale of troops after recent deadly border clashes with Pakistan.
As India celebrated the festival of Diwali, Modi travelled to the remote glacier to greet soldiers based at what has been dubbed the world’s highest battleground ahead of a visit to the state capital which was devastated by floods last month.
In a post on his Twitter feed, Modi said it was “my good fortune that I will be able to spend time with our brave soldiers on this special day”.
“Am going to Siachen with a message from each and every Indian to our soldiers — that we stand shoulder to shoulder with you!” he added.
Television footage later showed Modi meeting and greeting troops in Siachen which has previously been the scene of fierce fighting between India and Pakistan.