In an unfortunate incident, two Army officers and three soldiers were killed in an encounter with terrorists in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir. The gunfight began on Wednesday morning and lasted until Thursday evening. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar paid tribute to the fallen soldiers in a social media post, revealing their names and sharing their photos. The officers were identified as Capt MV Pranjal, Capt Shubham Gupta, and Havildar Abdul Majid. The Army later disclosed the names of the other two soldiers as Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht and Paratrooper Sachin Laur. The operation also resulted in the death of two Pakistani terrorists, including a high-ranking member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group known as Quari.
Capt MV Pranjal, a 29-year-old officer from the 63 Rashtriya Rifles, was a son of a retired director of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited. He hailed from Mysuru and completed his schooling in Surathkal. Capt Pranjal was an engineering graduate from the National Defence Academy and resided in Anekal, Bengaluru. His body was expected to arrive in Bengaluru on Thursday evening, and his last rites will be conducted in Bannerghatta.
Capt Shubham Gupta, who hailed from Agra district, joined the Indian Army in 2015 and was commissioned in 2018. His first posting was in Udhampur. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to Capt Gupta’s family, assuring them of the state government’s support during this difficult time.
Havildar Abdul Majid, originally from Ajote in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht from Halli Padli in Nainital, Uttarakhand, and Paratrooper Sachin Laur from Nagaliya Giurola in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh also lost their lives during the operation.
The encounter took place in the Kalakot forests of Rajouri, and search operations are currently underway. The loss of these brave soldiers is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorists in the region.
