"Said He Would Come Home On Holi": Family Of Soldier Killed In J&K

Family members and villagers are mourning the loss of 29-year-old Karan Yadav who lost his life in the Poonch terror attack on Thursday. He is survived by his wife and two children. Daughter Arya is 6 years old and son Ayush is just 1 year old.

Karan Kumar Yadav, a resident of Bhaupur in the Chaubepur suburb of Kanpur had joined the Army as a driver in 2013. He was posted in Rajouri. The family was informed about this heart-wrenching news late on Thursday night.

His younger brother and three sisters are also mourning the loss of their brother. His father is a farmer and his younger brother is working in a private job. Karan was the only earning person in the house.

Arun Kumar younger brother of Karan Kumar said, "I spoke to me brother on December 20. I told him to meet our parents. He said that he would come during holi. Yesterday, my sister-in-law called in Rajouri at 12.30 midnight and she was told that Karan was hit by a bullet. Later from a senior official, we came to know that he had lost his life. He had joined army in 2013."

His father Balak Ram Yadav said that he was informed about his demise at midnight. "He used to drive a vehicle in the army. He has two children. I spoke to him on Wednesday. He had said that he would come in February."

Security forces are conducting a search operation in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri sector after the terrorist attack on Army vehicles yesterday.

Some local suspects have been detained by the army from Dera Ki Gali for investigation.

"Around 30 Pakistani terrorists suspected to be active in Rajouri-Poonch sector," Defence sources said.

The NIA team reached the attack area in the Rajouri district of Jammu on Friday, where Security personnel are conducting a search operation in the forest area of Dera ki Gali.

Four Army personnel lost their lives while three others were injured in a terrorist attack on two military vehicles in the Thanamandi area in the Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, an official said.

The terrorists ambushed two army vehicles carrying troops in Thanamandi, Rajouri."At approximately 3:45 PM on December 21, two army vehicles carrying troops were moving to the operational site, which were fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was immediately retaliated upon by own troops," an Army official said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)