Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday paid tributes to fallen soldiers at the Siachen base camp. Singh, who is on his first visit outside the national capital as Defence Minister, is on a day-long visit to Ladakh to take stock of the situation in the frontier region of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Paid tributes to the martyred soldiers who sacrificed their lives while serving in Siachen. More than 1100 soldiers have made supreme sacrifice defending the Siachen Glacier. The nation will always remain indebted to their service and sacrifice,” Singh wrote on Twitter.

At Siachen base camp, the Defence Minister interacted with Army personnel serving in what is known as the world’s highest battlefield. He was accompanied by Indian Army chief, General Bipin Rawat and other senior Army officers.

“Our soldiers in Siachen are performing their duty with great courage and fortitude even in extreme conditions and treacherous terrain. I salute their vigour and valour,” Singh said on Twitter.

Our soldiers in Siachen are performing their duty with great courage and fortitude even in extreme conditions and treacherous terrain. I salute their vigour and valour. pic.twitter.com/hMRObJ1j9A

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 3, 2019

“I am proud of all Army personnel serving in Siachen who are leaving no stone unturned to defend our motherland,” Singh, an MP from Lucknow, added.

Expressing gratitude to the parents of the soldiers, Singh said, “I am also proud of their parents who have sent their children to serve the nation by joining the Armed forces. I will personally send a thank you note to them.”

I am proud of all Army personnel serving in Siachen who are leaving no stone unturned to defend our motherland.

I am also proud of their parents who have sent their children to serve the nation by joining the Armed forces. I will personally send a thank you note to them.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 3, 2019

Singh will also review the security situation at Siachen.

The senior BJP leader had during his five-year stint as Home Minister in the previous Modi government visited Jammu-Kashmir several times.

Soon after taking over as Defence Minister on Saturday, Singh held a meeting with the top military brass, including the Army chief, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and newly-appointed Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh.

During the meeting, Singh asked the Defence Ministry officers to prepare detailed presentations on all divisions and departments under him and set time-bound targets to achieve the desired outcome.