"Very Proud, But...": Family Mourns Captain Thapa, Killed In J&K Encounter

Pride and grief were locked in a duel as Nilima Thapa fought back tears to speak about her son, Captain Brijesh Thapa, who died in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda last night. "He will never come home," Ms Thapa told news agency ANI.

Describing her 27-year-old son, she said, "He was very decent. He never complained about anything. And he always wanted to join the Army. We had told him that life is tough in the Army. He had also seen his father's life, and he still wanted to join the Army."

Ms Thapa said she is a proud mother whose son has done something for the country. "But, there is also the fact that he is now very far away," she said, her eyes welling up. She said the government must and will respond to these attacks.

Captain Thapa was a second generation Army officer and his father Colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa (retired) told ANI that he is proud that his son had sacrificed his life for the country.

"I could not believe when I was informed that he was no more. He always wanted to be in the Army, right from his childhood. He used to wear my Army dress and roam around. Even after he completed his engineering, he still wanted to join the Army."

"He cleared the exam in the first attempt and joined the Army. I feel proud that my son has done something for the security of the nation. The sad part is we won't be able to meet him again," the veteran officer said.

Yogesh Thapa, the young officer's uncle, urged the Centre to crack down on the terrorists. "He joined the service five years ago. He was unmarried. As a family, the loss we have suffered is impossible to cope with," he said.

Besides Captain Thapa, Naik D Rajesh and sepoys Bijendra and Ajay were killed in the encounter that began last evening.

The encounter broke out after a joint team of the Army and Jammu and Kashmir police launched a search in Doda on the basis of intelligence inputs. White Knight Corps said the gunfight between forces and terrorists began around 9 pm yesterday.

The Indian Army has expressed its condolences and says it stands with the bereaved families in this hour of grief.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed his condolences and said his heart goes out to the soldiers' families. "The Counter Terrorist operations are underway, and our soldiers remain committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and restore peace and order in the region," he said in a post on X.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the nation stands with the soldiers' families.

"Capt Brijesh Thapa, along with Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, Sepoy Ajay sacrificed their lives fighting Jaish terrorists in Doda, Jammu Division last night. My deepest condolences to the families. The Nation stands with you in this toughest time of grief," he said.