Capt Fatima Wasim. (Screenshot of Indian Army video.)
New Delhi: Indian Army officer Captain Fatima Wasim became the third woman to be posted in Siachen Glacier. She is also the second woman medical officer to be posted at the world’s highest battlefield. However, she is the first woman doctor to be deployed at an operational post in the glacier, which is one of the most hostile terrains on Earth.
The operation post where Captain Wasim is deployed is at an altitude of 15,200 feet above sea level. She has been deployed there after undergoing rigorous training at the prestigious Siachen Battle School.
The Leh-based XIV Corps, also known as the Fire and Fury Corps, revealed this development in a post on X, on Monday, and termed it as “historic”. The XIV Corps has also shared her video on X along with the post showing glimpses of Capt Wasim’s training among other things.
"NATION FIRST"🇮🇳
— @firefurycorps_IA (@firefurycorps) December 11, 2023
Capt Fatima Wasim of #SiachenWarriors creates history by becoming the First Woman Medical Officer to be deployed on an operational post on the Siachen Glacier.
She was inducted to a post at an altitude of 15200 feet after undergoing rigorous training at… pic.twitter.com/u5EovNNu1Y
This comes just a week after Captain Geetika Koul became the first woman medical officer in the Army to be posted in Siachen, as India Sentinels had reported on December 5. However, Capt Koul, who belongs to the Snow Leopard Brigade, is not deployed at an operational post.
Before Capt Koul and Capt Wasim, who are both medical officers in the Army, Captain Shiva Chouhan, an Engineering officer, became the first woman officer from the Army to be posted in Siachen. She was deployed at the Kumar Post in the glacier, located at an altitude of around 15,600 feet, in January for a three-month deputation.
All three women officers’ posting in the Siachen Glacier took place this year. The world’s highest battlefield is expected to see more such postings in the coming days and months.
The inhospitable Siachen Glacier is in the Karakoram range, which is the second-highest mountain range in the world. The Karakoram area is part of a complex of ranges that includes the Pamir Mountains, Hindu Kush, and the Himalayas.
The Indian Army holds an advantageous position in the Siachen area over Pakistani hostile positions. Although there have been battle casualties between the Indian and Pakistani troops, more soldiers have died due to the hostile terrain and weather.
