By M S Nazki
Nagrota the place where India’s White Knights Corps is nestled and mind you all the troops in this Corps mean business!
-If the enemy thinks that it can snarl and growl the reply would be a ‘Lion’s Roar’!
-Ah! How many times we have to teach the same to the enemy who sits just across the LOC/IB!
-Throughout the Indian Military History this Corps has stood out!
-Agreed that the batons have changed, faces have changed but the basics remain the same and General PKM knows that (we told you that we would be writing about the General by this name)!
-Nagrota, a town in Jammu and Kashmir, is historically significant as a strategic military garrison town and a key location for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage.
-It’s the headquarters of the Indian Army’s XVI Corps, also known as the White Knight Corps. The town’s history is intertwined with the partition of India, subsequent Indo-Pak conflicts, and terrorist attacks, making it a place of both military and historical importance.
-Here’s a more detailed look at Nagrota’s history:
-Military Significance: Nagrota serves as the headquarters for the Indian Army’s XVI Corps, a large and strategically important unit. The town is located on the Jammu-Srinagar highway and is close to the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur, overseeing operations along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
-Historical Events: Nagrota and its surroundings have witnessed significant events related to the partition of India in 1947 and the subsequent Indo-Pakistani conflicts.
-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Pilgrimage: Nagrota is the first shrine stoppage for pilgrims visiting the holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, with the Kol-Kandoli temple being a mandatory part of the pilgrimage.
-Economic Activity: The town has seen an extension of Jammu’s industries, including oil depots and warehouses, and it is also near Jagti, a settlement for Kashmiri migrants.
-Recent Events: Nagrota has been the site of terrorist attacks, including an attack on the Army unit in 2016, highlighting the town’s vulnerability despite its strategic location.
-Infrastructure: While currently lacking a railway station, Nagrota has been designated with a railway station code (NGRT) in anticipation of the Jammu-Srinagar railway line extension.
-Nagrota is also home to prestigious Sainik School and an I.I.T College, Sainik School Nagrota and Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu. It has a magnificent army park named as Vijay Park.
– Nagrota has a National Rural Health Mission and a KNH Hospital which is under stay. Nowadays, the progress of Nagrota is in its top level. It has witnessed a Khel Gaun and a volleyball stadium.
-The Jamboo Zoo in Nagrota which is under construction with more than 2000 varieties of snakes.
-We have yet not come on to the story as yet because of an account:
Since the killing of Burhan Wani, Kashmir has seen an increase in violence and civil disobedience. This also increased tensions since the 2016 Uri attack and the ensuing Indian retaliatory surgical strike operation.
-Attack: On the morning of 29 November at around 5:30 IST, three militants Numan, Aadil and Khalid dressed in Indian police uniforms attacked the Indian Army’s 166 Field Regiment unit in the town of Nagrota, near the Jammu city in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer were killed in the initial gun battle.
The militants then divided themselves into two groups, entered the living quarters of the base and opened fire with AK-47s and grenades. They took into hostage at least two infants, two women and over a dozen soldiers. A stand-off then ensued with the security forces. According to a statement from the Defence public relations office, “there was [a] hostage-like situation which was successfully neutralised.”
In the resultant gun battle, all three militants were killed and the hostages were freed by the Indian Army. Three more Indian soldiers, including an officer, were killed in the rescue operation. Two officers of rank major, Akshay Girish Kumar and Gosavi Kunal Mannadir lost their lives in the initial response before the terrorists were neutralized.
-Organizational accountability: Investigation done by National Investigation Agency (NIA) India for around 2 years, revealed this terrorist operation was owned by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) deputy chief Abdul Rauf Azhar as per the final chargesheet. The final report provided detailed information on how the three terrorists came to India, arranged finances and took local help to execute the mission.
That was the past but now we disclose the present: 16 Corps GOC presents banner to 166 MH
Banner was in recognition of MH’s “exceptional service” in providing medical support with dedication and devotion to the personnel of Border Security Force (BSF) Jammu and Indian Army during “Operation Sindoor
General Officer Commanding (GOC) White Knight Corps of Indian Army, Lieutenant General P K Mishra Thursday presented the banner to 166 Military Hospital (MH).
Banner was in recognition of MH’s “exceptional service” in providing medical support with dedication and devotion to the personnel of Border Security Force (BSF) Jammu and Indian Army during “Operation Sindoor.”
“For their exceptional service in providing medical support tirelessly to BSF Jammu and Indian Army troops, during Op Sindoor, 166 Military Hospital has been recognised by GOC White Knight Corps,” the White Knight (16) Corps posted on its ‘X’ handle. “The GOC presented the banner to the MH today, saluting their dedication and devotion to duty,” the post read.
166 Military Hospital (MH) Nagrota, also known as MH Jammu, was initially established as a 180-bed section of Military Hospital Udhampur on July 1, 1970. It was renamed 166 MH in 1978 and expanded to its current 531-bed capacity. The hospital serves as the largest garrison hospital for troops in the Jammu, Nagrota, and surrounding areas.
-Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
-1970: 166 MH was established as a section of MH Udhampur.
-1978: The hospital was renamed 166 MH.
Expansion: The hospital has grown from its initial 180 beds to its current capacity of 531 beds, with additional crisis expansion capacity.
Role: It functions as a major referral hospital for patients from Poonch, Rajouri, Akhnoor, and Samba, and also provides garrison hospital support for troops and families in the Jammu and Nagrota areas.
Active Operations: 166 MH plays a crucial role during active operations and hostilities, including coordinating medical logistics. For example, during Operation Megh Rahat, all medical supply logistics towards Srinagar were coordinated from Jammu by 166 MH.
Modernization: The hospital has been modernized with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and OPD services and medical stores are being automated.
Strategic Importance: 166 MH is a strategically important hospital for the Northern Command.
Notable Events: The hospital has been recognized for its quality of service and was awarded as the best Military Hospital in the Northern Command.
So for today this is all we have got but tomorrow is another day!
