Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma is new chief of Army's crucial Northern Command

Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma will be the new chief of Indian Army's crucial Northern Command in J&K, while Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari will take over as the Indian Air Force vice-chief, amid heightened tensions with Pakistan.

"Pakistani social media handles are spreading fake news that India is shunting out top military officers in wake of the Pahalgam massacre. In fact, the new appointments have taken place since the incumbents superannuated Wednesday," an officer said.

Lieutenant General Sharma, who has earlier served as the director-general of military operations and deputy chief (strategy), replaces Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar at the Udhampur-based Northern Command. Air Marshal Tiwari, the South-Western Air Command chief, in turn, succeeds Air Marshal SP Dharkar as the IAF vice-chief in New Delhi.

In another top appointment, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit will be the new chief of the integrated defence staff and succeeds Lieutenant General JP Mathew, who also retired Wednesday.