Mehbooba, Army pay tribute to soldiers killed in Shopian attack

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti joined the Army on Thursday in paying tributes to two soldiers, including a Major, killed in a militant attack in south Kashmir's Shopian district.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that the Chief Minister along with Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General J.S. Sandhu and officials from the civil administration and other security forces operating in the Valley, paid rich tributes to Major Kamlesh Pandey and Sepoy Tanzin Chhultim at a solemn ceremony in Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar.

Kalia said "The spirited and daring officer, Major Kamlesh Pandey, joined the Army in June 2012 and hailed from Almora, Uttarakhand. He is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter.

"The 25-year-old martyr Sepoy Tanzin Chhultim of Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, had joined the Army in September 2012. He is proudly remembered by his comrades as a highly professional soldier and a true patriot. He is survived by his parents."

He said the bodies of the two soldiers will be taken to their native places for the last rites with full military honours.

"The Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their dignity and well being," Kalia said.