Troops will stay in Siachen, says Indian defence minister

Manohar Parrikar's statement comes after last week's avalanche which claimed the lives of nine soldiers

Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday ruled out any possibility of the withdrawal of troops from the Siachen glacier after last week's avalanche, which claimed the lives of nine soldiers.

"The decision on Siachen is based on the security of the nation. I am disturbed by the loss of life but I think that due to this, some other solution [withdrawal] would not be the proper analysis," Parrikar said in response to questions if Siachen would be converted into a peace park.



A large avalanche hit a post on the northern glacier at a height of 19,600 feet being manned by soldiers of the Madras Regiment. One Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and nine soldiers were killed in the tragedy and efforts are still on to locate and retrieve their bodies.

Although the chance of survival was very low or almost nil, the search for the missing soldiers continues.



Parrikar reiterated that the search was still on while noting that casualties had come down in recent times and despite the best of efforts, nature cannot be predicted.

Earlier today, one of 10 Indian soldiers feared dead after the avalanche in the remote Himalayas was miraculously rescued alive. “In the ongoing rescue operation at Siachen, of the 10 soldiers buried… (one) has been found alive,” General D.S. Hooda from the army’s northern command said in a statement Monday.

“All other soldiers are regrettably no longer with us,” it added.



The rescued soldier, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, was in critical condition and officials would try to evacuate him from the mountain later Tuesday morning to be moved to an army hospital in New Delhi.

Further, Pakistan Army had offered to assist India in locating and possibly rescuing its soldiers who went missing after the avalanche.