Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, an officer involved in planning of the 2016 surgical strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on Friday took over as the General Officer Commanding of the Army’s Nagrota-based XVI Corps.

He took the charge from Lt.Gen. Saranjeet Singh. Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, has commanded an elite parachute regiment and has vast experience of high-altitude warfare.

The 57-year-old Lt Gen Paramjit Singh is not new to Jammu and Kashmir and has experienced postings in all three regions of the state during peak terrorism.

He has taken over as corps commander when tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir are high, amid efforts by terrorist handlers in PoK to push more militants into the state. the XVI Corps guards the entire Line of Control (LOC) with POK.

Paramjit Singh, a part of the elite Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and who has commanded a special forces battalion, was part of the planning of the surgical strikes after the attack on an Army brigade in Uri in 2016. Besides, he has also been part of formulating strategies to dominate the LoC after the surgical strikes.

He, as major general, general staff, Northern Command headquarters, played a pivotal role in strategising military response to agitations that erupted in 2016 after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was neutralised. He has vast experience in high-altitude warfare, including a tenure at the Siachen Glacier.

He has spent most of his career conducting counter insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, besides taking part in operations against the LTTE in Sri Lanka. He has the distinction of commanding the elite Siachen Brigade and an infantry division on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

He was involved in planning and leading military operations during critical times like the Hazratbal siege in 1993 and kidnapping of foreign tourists by Al Faraan group in 1995.

Lt. Gen. Paramjit Singh was also involved in humanitarian relief operations in Jammu and Kashmir post the earthquake in 2005, cloudburst in Ladakh in 2010 and devastating floods in the valley in 2014.