Army pays tributes to fallen soldiers as search for terrorists continues

RAJOURI: A wreath laying ceremony was on Sunday held in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri for the four soldiers who lost their lives after being ambushed by terrorists in nearby Poonch district, officials said.

A search operation to track down the fleeing terrorists continues near the scene of the ambush, while mobile internet services remained suspended in the twin districts for the second day on Sunday, they said.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi led the wreath-laying ceremony of Naik Birendder Singh, Naik Karan Kumar, rifleman Gautam Kumar and rifleman Chandan Kumar at a military camp where their mortal remains were shifted.

General Officer Commanding of Jammu-based White Knight Corps Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Vikas Kundal, Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri Amritpal Singh and other officers and ranks of the Army also paid floral tributes.

The soldiers lost their lives when their two vehicles were ambushed by terrorists at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Buffliaz in the Surankote area of Poonch on Thursday.

Lt Gen Dwivedi interacted with the next of kin of the slain soldiers at the wreath-laying ceremony. Later, their mortal remains were dispatched to their hometowns in Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.

The officials said a massive search operation continued in Surankote and nearby Thanamandi forest area of Rajouri for the fourth day on Sunday in search of the terrorists responsible for the ambush.

Army along with the police and the paramilitary forces are searching the forest area and the natural caves but success has eluded them so far, officials said.

Mobile internet services were suspended early Saturday following the killing of three civilians within hours of being allegedly picked up by security forces for questioning in connection with the ambush.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday announced compensation and jobs to the families of the dead civilians and said the medico-legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority.