New Delhi, Jan 28: The army on Wednesday honoured Colonel Munindra Nath Rai, who died fighting militants in Kashmir's Pulwama district, just a day after he was awarded a Republic Day gallantry medal.
Lt Gen Subrata Saha, GOC of the army's 15 Corps, led the wreath laying ceremony at the Badami Bagh cantonment headquarters in Srinagar.
The army also honoured Sanjeevan Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir Police who also died in Tuesday's gunfight in which militants of Hizbul Mujahideen were killed.
"They made the supreme sacrifice yesterday in a daring operation at Tral. The supreme sacrifice of these two brave men only strengthens our resolve to fight all elements inimical to the security of Jammu and Kashmir," the GOC said.
Colonel Rai, 39,commanding officer of 42 Rashtriya Rifles, was awarded Yudh Seva medal on Republic Day for his role in a gunbattle with militants in south Kashmir last year. The Yudh Seva Medal is awarded for the highest degree of distinguished service in a war or conflict.
On Tuesday morning, he received information that militants were hiding in a house at a village in Tral, and rushed there with a quick reaction team.
The militants started firing as the forces surrounded them, cutting down Col Rai and police head constable Sanjeevan Singh.
The forces cornered the militants after a while and gunned down Firdous Ahmed and Shiraz Ahmad, who were local recruits of the Hizbul.
Colonel Rai is the highest-ranking military officer to be killed in the south Kashmir region in nearly a year.
His last status on the mobile messaging service WhatsApp, posted two months ago, read: "Play your role in life with such passion, that even after the curtains come down, the applause doesn't stop."
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