Army pays tribute to Captain Tushar Mahajan and Lance Naik Om Prakash, who were killed in an encounter with the militants at Pampore. (PTI Photo)
Tributes poured in as the nation mourned the heroes who have been killed while fighting terrorists in Pampore, Jammu and Kashmir.
The body of 23-year-old
Army para commando Captain Pawan Kumar was brought to his village in Haryana's Jind district today. Last rites were performed this evening with full military honours.
Captain Kumar's body was flown into his Badhana village by helicopter, with all roads into Jind blocked by Jat protesters who are demanding reservation in Haryana. Earlier on Monday, a wreath laying ceremony was held in Punjab's Pathankot, where the Army bid the hero farewell.
Army bids farewell to Captain Pawan Kumar
Captain Kumar, a 10 Para Special Forces officer, was killed while leading his men in a complicated operation against terrorists holed up in the campus of a government institute in Pampore near J&K capital Srinagar.
"Captain Pawan Kumar of 10 Paras attained martyrdom leading his men from the front in a tricky deliberate operation at EDI government building with the possibility of some more civilians trapped not ruled out," said Lt General Satish Dua, the General Officer Commanding of the Army's Srinagar based 15 Corps.
Gen Dua said today that all civilians have been evacuated from the building. On Sunday, two more paratroopers,
Captain Tushar Mahajan, 26, and Lance Naik Om Prakash, 32, were killed.
Three terrorists have been killed in the encounter.
Captain Mahajan was hit by a volley of bullets fired by the terrorists while mop-up operations were being conducted on the third floor of the building where the attackers are holed up. His body has been brought to his home-town Udhampur after a wreath laying ceremony in Srinagar.
Captain Tushar Mahajan was hit by a volley of bullets
"He was patriotic since childhood, and we couldn't resist his strong desire to serve the nation...Many soldiers are sacrificing their lives and I don't know when this government will take some concrete decision," Captain Mahajan's father Devraj Gupta said in Udhampur.
"
I had only one child and I gave him to the Army, to the nation. No father can be prouder," said Captain Pawan Kumar's father, Rajbir Singh.
Captain Kumar had been injured earlier in an anti-terrorist operation, but continued to volunteer for more such missions.