Army pays tributes to 3 soldiers

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 19

The Army on Wednesday paid tributes to Grenadier Ravi Kumar Singh and Grenadier Prashant Singh, who were killed in a fierce gunfight at Kreeri, and also to Havildar Rajendra Singh, whose body was found seven months after he went missing in an avalanche while patrolling along the Line of Control.

In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment, Lt Gen BS Raju, Chinar Corps Commander, along with Dilbag Singh, DGP, J&K and all ranks paid homage to the soldiers.

The Army said Ravi and Prashant were leading the search team after militants attacked a joint checkpoint of the CRPF and the police at Kreeri, Baramulla.

“The bravehearts were the first to come into contact with the terrorists during the pursuit. In the ensuing gunfight, three terrorists were eliminated. However, Grenadier Ravi and Grenadier Prashant sustained gunshot wounds. Despite being grievously injured, they continued to fight,” the statement said.

A resident of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, Ravi, 26, had joined the Army in June 2013. Prashant, 25, a resident of Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, had joined the Army in 2014.

Havildar Rajendra, 39, while on a patrol duty along the LoC was caught in a severe snow blizzard on January 8 in the Rampur (Gulmarg) sector of Baramulla. He lost his footing and fell down a deep gorge.

“The mortal remains of Havildar Rajendra Singh were finally recovered on August 15, while still buried under two feet of snow,” the statement said.

Rajendra hailed from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and had joined the Army in 2001.