Srinagar attack: Army bids adieu to comrades-in-arms

Srinagar: The Army today bid a tearful adieu to eight soldiers who were killed in a brazen militant attack at Hyderpora bypass in the outskirts of the city on Monday. General Officer Commanding of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, led the officers and jawans in paying floral tributes to the eight soldiers at a ceremony held at the headquarters of Chinar Corps at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.[caption id=“attachment_907827” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Soldiers taking positions during an encounter after militants attacked an Army convoy at Hyderpora in Srinagar on Monday. PTI[/caption] As many as 16 soldiers were also injured in the attack which came just a day before the two-day visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the state. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Ashok Prasad also attended the ceremony and laid wreaths on the coffins as a special gesture and symbol of jointness, a defence spokesman said. Lauding the brave soldiers, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh said, “My heart goes out to the families and relatives of the martyrs. May God bestow strength to bear the loss. Chinar Corps salutes them and their martyrdom will only strengthen our resolve to bring peace in Kashmir.” The spokesman said the names of the jawans will be engraved at the Chinar Corps Memorial and their contribution towards peace in the Kashmir Valley will become part of the history. Among the martyrs were Hav Lalrohula from Aizwal (Mizoram), Lance Naik Z Lalringhetta from Mamit (Mizoram), Sepoys Adwaita Nandi from Bankura, Pravin Das from Udalguri (Assam), John Lalumi Vajphei from Churachandpur (Manipur), Moanung Sang from Mokokchung (Nagaland), Signalmen Yadaiah M from Mahbubnagar (Andhra Pradesh) and Girdhari Prajapati from Balia (Uttar Pradesh). On 25 June, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had visited the Base Hospital at the cantonment to honour the martyrs personally. The prime minister had expressed that the country is proud of what Army is doing in the service of the nation. The dignitaries also met the injured jawans undergoing treatment at the hospital and prayed for their speedy recovery. PTI