57th Mountain Division (India)

The 57 Mountain Division headquarters are at Leimakhong near Imphal, Manipur.[2]

57th Mountain Division
Active1966-onwards
Country India
Branch Indian Army
TypeInfantry
RoleMountain warfare, Counterinsurgency
SizeDivision
Part ofIII Corps
Garrison/HQLeimakhong, Manipur
NicknameRed Shield Division
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General Sumit Kabthiyal, SM[1]

History

edit

It was raised in 1966 for counterinsurgency operations in Mizoram. Until 1990, headquartered at Aizawl with III Corps.[3]Previously the division was headquartered in Masimpur near Silchar.[4] 57th Mountain Division took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as part of IV Corps. It also successfully conducted Operation Golden Bird in 1995 to eliminate rebels in Northeast India.[5]

Areas Served

edit

The formation and units of the Division operates in some of the remote corner of Manipur along with Indo-Burmese border.[6] It cooperates with Assam Rifles Imphal Sector wing for any insurgency in Manipur.

Previous Commander

edit
  • Maj. Gen. Iqbal Singh (2001)

References

edit
  1. "Army celebrated Reh festival". 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  2. "Army launches massive hunt operation in Manipur against militants after deadliest attack in 33 years". The Times of India. 5 June 2015.
  3. Conboy, Elite Forces of India and Pakistan, p.8
  4. Pike, John. "57 Mountain Division / Red Shield Division". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
  5. Bhaumik, Subir (10 December 2009). Troubled Periphery: The Crisis of India's North East By Subir Bhaumik. ISBN 9788132104797.
  6. John Pike. "57 Mountain Division / Red Shield Division". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2017-01-17.