Govt empowers Army chief to mobilise Territorial Army for support amid India-Pak tensions

NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has granted the Army Chief expanded authority to mobilise the Territorial Army amid escalating tensions with Pakistan.Under Rule 33 of the Territorial Army Rules 1948, the Chief of Army Staff can now call upon all officers and enrolled personnel of the Territorial Army to provide essential security or supplement regular army operations."In exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 33 of the Territorial Army Rule 1948, the Central Government empowers Chief of the Army Staff to exercise the powers under that rule to call out every officer and every enrolled person of the Territorial Army to provide for essential guard or to be embodied for the purpose of supporting or supplementing the regular army," a circular issued by the ministry of defence read."Out of the existing 32 Infantry Battalions (Territorial Army), embodiment of 14 Infantry Battalions (Territorial Army) for deployment in the areas of Southern Command, Eastern Command, Western Command, Central Command, Northern Command, South Western Command, Andaman and Nicobar Command and Army Training Command (ARTRAC). The embodiment shall be ordered provided the funds are available in the budget or have been made available by re-appropriation of the internal savings in the budget. For units embodied at the behest of ministries other than ministry of defence, the cost will be debited to the respective ministries and will not be included in the budget allocation of the ministry of defence," it added.This comes after the armed forces carried out 'Operation Sindoor' which killed over 100 terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Following India's action, Pakistan launched missiles and drones across LoC and International Borders which were intercepted by Army's air defence systemsPakistan launched a salvo of missiles and suicide drones at 15 Indian military targets in northern and western India around 1 am."Drone attacks effectively repulsed and befitting reply was given to the ceasefire violations," Army said."India remains committed to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation. All nefarious designs will be responded with force," it added.