Pune, Nov 18 (PTI) The Corps of Engineers, or Sappers as they are commonly known, celebrated the 241st Corps Day at Southern Command Headquarters in Pune on Thursday.

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Lt Gen J S Nain, Army Commander, Southern Command, conveyed his compliments to the Sapper fraternity and expressed confidence that the Corps of Engineers would rise to meet future challenges in all dimensions thus upholding its motto ''Sarvatra" in the truest sense.

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Indian Sappers have a long history dating back to the mid-18th century. The Corps officially recognises its birth as 1780 when the senior-most group, the Madras Sappers, was raised.

The Bengal and Bombay Sappers were subsequently formed, and these groups were later merged on November 18, 1932, to form the Corps of Engineers.

Sappers have provided succour to the civil population in recent times playing their part in flood relief in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and in 'Op NAMASTE' launched to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, by creating and maintaining essential medical and sustenance facilities, a Defence release stated.

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