Srinagar: Stating that the Army was grateful to people of Shopian for saving lives of soldiers who were injured in a road accident, General Officer Commanding 15 Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey on Wednesday said that militancy in the district Shopian is declining with masses playing a great role in its eradication.
“The terrorism in Shopian district is declining and people here are playing a great role in elimination of terror,” Lt Gen Pandey told reporters after visiting Shopian district hospital.
Lt Gen Pandey said the reason behind his hospital visit was to thank the masses, doctors and hospital staff. He said a few days ago during an anti-militancy operation a road accident took place in Shopian after which lives of soldiers were saved with efforts from doctors and medical staff.
He said that during the accident Army personnel had received injuries. “The people of Shopian evacuated our people,” he said. “Nobody among us was around when soldiers of 44 RR had got injured during the accident.”
Lt Gen Pandey said that locals brought the soldiers to hospital. “They were treated by the doctors and staff,” he said. “The lives were saved by people, doctors and staff. I am here to thank you all.” Three soldiers of 44 RR had died and five soldiers were injured on last Thursday after the vehicle they were travelling in had overturned near Kanipora village in Shopian district, enroute to encounter site at Badigam village.
The Army had said that owing to the wet road conditions, the driver lost control over the vehicle and it skidded off the road. There were eight soldiers in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The eight injured soldiers were shifted to District Hospital Shopian, where two among them were declared dead. One soldier had received minor injuries and was discharged from District Hospital. The five other injured soldiers were then shifted to 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar, where the third soldier also succumbed to his injuries.
The senior Army General said that killing a person is easy but saving a life was a huge task. “ I am happy that people of Shopian and 44 RR are working shoulder to shoulder to eradicate terror ecosystem,” he said. “My message to people is work hard to dismantle ecosystem of terrorism.”
Replying to a question about the security for forthcoming Amarnath Yatra, he said there was no need to take tension in this respect. “Arrangements are underway for a smooth and incident free yatra this year,” he said. He was accompanied by GOC Victor Force Maj Gen SN Srivastava, commander of local formation and police officers.