J & K: Army Holds Wreath-Laying Ceremony For Handwara Bravehearts

Srinagar: The Indian Army held a wreath-laying ceremony to pay tributes to Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj Sood, Naik Rajesh Kumar and Lance Naik Dinesh Singh who were martyred in an encounter with terrorists at Handwara in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday evening.

The four Bravehearts of the Indian Army led by Colonel Ashutosh Sharma went inside a house to rescue locals who were taken hostage by terrorists. They succeeded in rescuing the hostages but came under heavy fire in the process. In the end, they were martyred, even as they accomplished their mission.

Defence analysts have pointed out that North Kashmir is the theatre of extremely difficult operations because of the nature of the terrain and secondly, the hardened well-trained terrorists who are pushed by Pakistan into this area.

Meanwhile, Col. Ashutosh Sharma's brother Piyush Sharma remarked that his brother had sacrificed his life for a greater cause. Piyush added that his son also wants to join the army recalling that he drew a lot of inspiration from Col. Ashutosh and used to learn from him during their interactions.

Major Anuj Sood's father, Brigadier (retd.) Chandrakant Sood told the media that his son had made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in the Handwara encounter. Brig. Sood said that it was a part of his duty and what he was trained for. "I feel sad for his wife as they just got married 3-4 months back," he added.