Jammu: Army commander, Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh reached out to the people of north Kashmir on Tuesday with an aim to instill a sense of security and promote wellbeing among the public. In a series of interactions, the Army commander, accompanied by Lt Gen K J S Dhillon, Chinar Corps Commander met people at Vilgam (Kupwara district), Rampur and Boniyar (Barmulla district), a defence spokesperson said.

During the interaction, he informed the local people about the present situation, security measures put in place for the safety and security of people, and initiatives being taken by the government and also by the Army to improve the situation, he said. The Army commander also answered queries raised by people and members of civil administration, schoolteachers and children also participated in the interaction, the spokesperson said.

He advised people to maintain peace and not believe in rumours and propaganda being spread by "enemies of the nation". The Army commander emphasised the need to continue with such interaction with people, especially the youth at various levels to solve their problems and also to sensitise them about the nefarious designs of adversaries to disturb the peace of the Valley.

The goodwill gesture on the part of the Army commander's to dispel apprehension of people was appreciated by all the attendees. They assured the Army commander to extend their full cooperation in maintaining peace and harmony in the region, the spokesperson said.