Lt Gen. D.P. Pandey, who is currently posted as the Director General of the Territorial Army, will take over as new corps commander of the strategic Chinar Corps in Srinagar on March 3 which oversees anti-insurgency operations in Kashmir, Brighter Kashmir has learnt.

The hand-over and take-over ceremony is likely to take place on March 18. 

According to sources, the incumbent commander of Chinar Corps, Lt Gen. B.S. Raju is being appointed as the new Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and Lt Gen. D.P. Pandey, who has had a long tenure in Kashmir, with six postings with Chinar Corps in his career, will take over from him.

The change of guard will take place in March. The incumbent commander Gen Raju completes his tenure and will take over as DGMO from Lt Gen. Paramjit Singh Sangha, who assumed charge as the Deputy Chief (Strategy) in the Army Headquarters last week.

According to a news portal, Lt Gen Singh had played a key role in the 2016 surgical strike and is the first Deputy Chief (Strategy), a post created as part of the reorganisation within the Army Headquarters.

Lt Gen. Pandey will oversee anti-terror operations in Kashmir and the Line of Control. He had earlier led the Kilo Force, which handles the anti-insurgency operations in North Kashmir.

Lt Gen. Raju had in October said the Army is working on ensuring surrender, instead of straight killings, and his tenure has been marked by a high number of encounters during which local Kashmir terrorists were caught alive. His tenure has also seen the lowest number of active militants in the valley, the portal reported.