President: Dukla Pass Battle Example of Pride and Determination

Vysny Komarnik, October 6 (TASR) - The Carpathian-Dukla Operation is an example of unbending national pride and determination in the fight against Nazi oppression, President Peter Pellegrini said in his speech on the 80th anniversary of the Dukla Pass battle on Sunday. "But it is also a permanent warning signal against the danger which in the form of fascism, extremism and intolerance lurks even today," he said at the Memorial of the Czechoslovak Army Corps at Dukla. The head of state pointed out that this is a memorable and historic site that witnessed unquestionable heroism but also immense suffering 80 years ago. "A place where our present freedom was bought with the blood of our fathers and grandfathers," he said, paying tribute to the heroes of the Dukla Pass battle, the battles for the liberation of Slovakia and the Slovak National Uprising. "Thanks are due to you for your courage, determination and dedication of your own lives in the name of freedom and a better future. And to the Slovak nation belongs the appreciation that it was able to unite on a common goal, to overcome differences of opinion and to start with the removal of fascism from the Slovak territory," stressed the president. The battle of the Dukla Pass began on September 8, 1944 and was expected to last only a couple of days, but due to stiff opposition the Soviet forces weren't able to reach the other side of the pass until October 6. The operation, which ended up lasting a total of 80 days, claimed over 70,000 casualties. Subsequently, one of the valleys in the pass came to be known as the Valley of Death. am