'Talk As Much As You Can,' Soldier Killed In Uri Terror Attack Had Told Mother

Uttar Pradesh: Lance Naik RK Yadav's wife has not been told yet about her husband's death in the Uri terrorist attack. She is pregnant and is due to deliver their third child this month. They have two daughters, the oldest is eight.

Three days ago, 33-year-old Lance Naik Yadav talked to his mother in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, on the phone. "Talk as much as you can," he said, explaining that he would be heading to the "higher ranges soon" and was apprehensive that he would not be accessible on the phone there.

Lance Naik Yadav was part of an advance party of his regiment 6 Bihar, which landed in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday. It was taking over command of an Army base from the 10 Dogras. Hours later, as the Bihar regiment soldiers slept in tents, four terrorists attacked the base, firing AK 47s and hurling grenades.

17 soldiers were killed on Sunday morning, another died of his injuries today. Four of them were from Uttar Pradesh.

In Sant Kabir Nagar, Suresh Chand Yadav says he spoke to younger brother Sepoy Ganesh Shankar about a week ago to discuss plans for their sister's marriage. The soldier promised to come home in October.

Sepoy Shankar, 34, supported a large family. He has three children, the eldest is 10.

28-year-old Harendra Yadav too has little children, two sons aged four and two. In his village in Ghazipur, neighbours talk about how he had rescued two people and animals from a hut on fire in March this year.

Sepoy Rajesh Kumar Singh's father, Rajendra Prasad Singh says he is angry that his son died in a terrorist attack. "I would have been proud had he died in war," he said at their village in Jaunpur.

Sepoy Singh is survived by his parents, wife and six year old child.

The bodies of the soldiers will reach their homes by tomorrow.