SRINAGAR: Army today paid homage to two soldiers who made supreme sacrifice during anti-militancy operation in the frontier district of Kupwara, where five Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were also gunned down yesterday.
Naik Shinde Shankar Chandrabhan and Gnr Sahadev embraced martyrdom in the highest traditions of the organisation and nation they served and died for. And in this sacrifice, they redefined camaraderie.
Naik Shinde and Gunner Sahadev were the leading scouts of the team of Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) that had launched a search operation in Zonreshi Village, Chowkibal in Kupwara District on February 12 afternoon.
Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel N N Joshi said as is often the case in such counter militant operations where the security forces take the first hit because militants invariably take shield of the civilians, the soldiers came under an intense volley of fire.
Being the scouts Naik Shinde Shankar and Gnr Sahadev Maruti bore the brunt but true to their reputation for selfless bravado and grit, they, despite being grievously wounded, immediately retaliated with fire and prevented the militants from firing with impunity. Despite being mortally wounded, they continued fighting the terrorists leading eventually to their elimination.
The duo seemed to have been meant for each other. Though coming from two different parent Units (of Infantry and Artillery) with almost ten years separating them in age and service, they began their tenures in the 41 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit together in June 2015.(agencies)
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