Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday condemned the terror attack on an army base in Uri and said better facilities including “fire retardant” tents should be given to the soldiers after it came to light that at least 13 jawans died due to the fire in their tents.
“While we work out who is to blame for #Uri & what an appropriate response will be, do we not owe our troops flame retardant tents & huts?
“If the reports are correct and 13 of the 17 fatalities are because of burns, it’s a crying shame that fire retardant tents aren’t the norm,” Omar said in a series of tweets about the Uri terror attack.
The National Conference working president also criticised the “fancy” facilities for the Army officers while the jawans were being taken for granted.
“The mess will be made more fancy, the auditorium more modern, officers quarters more comfortable but the jawan will be taken for granted. We owe it to our jawans to give them the best that we can because they are the 1st to lay down their lives and sacrifice everything for us,” he said.
Omar prayed for peace to the souls of the jawans killed in the attack on the army base in Uri area of Baramulla district.
He strongly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the families of the martyred jawans, extending heartfelt condolences to them.
“This is a highly condemnable and tragic incident. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred jawans who have lost their lives and pray for thespeedy recovery of those who have sustained injuries in the attack,” Omar said in a statement in Srinagar.