Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel celebrated the71st Republic Day at 17,000 feet in Ladakh, trudging though snow. The temperature in Ladakh at present is minus 20 degrees Celsius. Video footage showed 'Himveers' dressed in white uniforms and chanting slogans of -BharatMata ki Jai and Vande Mataram as the tricolour flies high.

 Two of the soldierswere seen holding the tricolour as they marched in the snow. "#Himveers of#ITBP salute the Nation on #RepublicDay2020 #RepublicDaylndia Pictures fromLadakh at 17 K ft," ITBP tweeted. A total of 15 ITBP personnel have been conferred with medals on Republic Day.

ITBPF was raised on October 24, 1962. Presently, ITBP isdeployed on border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep Lain Arunachal Pradesh covering 3488 km of Indo-China Border and manning BorderOutposts on altitudes ranging from 9000' to 18700' in the Western, Middle andEastern sectors of the Indo-China Border.

It is a specialized mountain force and most of the officersand men are professionally trained mountaineers and skiers. Being the firstresponder for natural disaster, the force has been carrying out numerous rescueand relief operations across the country.