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Number of slain ultras in 2018; Omar questions army officials’ boasting
KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 1/18/2019 4:07:32 PM
SRINAGAR, Jan 17: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday questioned army officials boasting about the number of militants killed in the state last year, saying it would have been a “great year” if no youth had joined militancy.
“I beg to differ, a great year would be one in which no young man would join militancy, no terrorists would be killed & no security personnel would lose their lives in encounters. The compulsion of killing militants/terrorists shouldn’t be treated as a cause for celebration,” Omar wrote on Twitter.
He was responding to the remarks of Northern Army Command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh in which he reportedly said that 2018 has been a great year for the security forces as more than 250 terrorists were killed, 54 were caught alive and four surrendered to the forces.
Earlier General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command dedicated the Kalai bridge to the nation. The bridge spans over Suran river and connects Kalai area to Chandak area in Poonch district. During the inauguration function, the Army Commander addressed the gathering of army, GREF and local residents and said that the Kalai bridge is an important milestone towards enhancing the road communication and for socio-economic development of the area. The bridge is an important strategic asset as it enhances the movement of military equipment and troops in a faster time frame. The Indian army and BRO has been working towards infrastructure development in the remote and far-flung areas and improving the road connectivity.
The bridge will reduce traffic congestion in the city and ease out inconvenience caused to the people specially while moving towards Budha Amarnath Shrine in Mandi as it reduces the travelling time considerably. The Army Commander appreciated the contribution of the district administration for their support and cooperation during the construction of the bridge. On the occasion, the Army Commander congratulated Project Sampark and the BRO team for the execution of the work with utmost professionalism.