A top commander who played a key role during the 1999 Kargil conflict in disputed Kashmir, Joginder Jaswant Singh, took over as the head of the Indian army on Monday. General Joginder Singh, 59, took over from outgoing chief General N.C. Vij at a colourful handing-over ceremony at the army headquarters in New Delhi. Singh was the additional director general of military operations at mountain peaks controlling a key road near Kargil.

The new army chief is scheduled to visit Kashmir in February to review troop withdrawals from the region.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005