Srinagar, Sep 25 : The Indian Army on Tuesday paid tribute to Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who was killed a day ago in a gunfight in the Tangdhar sector along the Line of Control (LoC).

The slain soldier had taken part in the surgical strikes by the Indian Army across the LoC in September 2016.

"In a solemn ceremony at the Badami Bagh Cantonment, Lieutenant General A.K. Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander and all ranks paid homage to the martyr on behalf of a proud nation," Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said here.

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh and representatives from various security agencies were also present.

The Lance Naik had sustained bullet injuries during an operation in the Tangdhar sector in which five terrorists were eliminated. He was provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital but he succumbed to his injuries, Kalia added.

Singh, 30, had joined the Army in 2007. He belonged to Kotla Khurd village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and is survived by his wife. His mortal remains were flown to his native place where he would be laid to rest with full military honours.




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New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.

Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.

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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.

The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.

Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.

"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.

"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.

The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.

The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.

"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.