Srinagar, Feb 1 (IANS): Major Gen Girish Kalia took over the commander of the elite Vajr Division in the Kashmir Valley from Major Gen Abhijit S. Pendharkar, army said on on Wednesday.

Commissioned on December 14, 1991 in the Madras Regiment, Kalia, an alumnus of Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, has attended all important career courses at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Army War College, Mhow, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.

His higher qualification includes MSc andA M Phil in Defence and Strategic Studies.

"The General Officer has vast operational experience having served in intense counter-insurgency/counter-terrorist operations in North East and Jammu and Kashmir," army said.

For his distinguished service, he has been awarded GOC-in-C Northern Command Commendation Card in 2001, GOC-in-C Southern Command Commendation Card in 2009 and Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020 while commanding a brigade on the Line of Control.

"The General Officer brings with him a rich experience of various command, staff and instructional appointments including the command of an infantry battalion as part of an infantry brigade and Strike Corps on the Line of Control, and Defence Attache in Egypt. He was tenanting an important appointment at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff prior to assuming the Command of the prestigious Vajr Division," army said.