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Tears and Tributes in Himachal’s Barnog as Army JCO Rakesh Kumar Returns Home for Final Farewell
Tears and Tributes in Himachal’s Barnog as Army JCO Rakesh Kumar Returns Home for Final Farewell
The arrival of Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar’s mortal remains for his last rites on Tuesday created a solemn scene in Barnog village in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. To honor the fallen warrior, locals and family members gathered, shouting “Jai Hind” and other patriotic phrases.
Subedar Naib Army 2 Para member Rakesh Kumar had dreamed of repairing his home after it was severely damaged during the monsoons. Tragically, he was killed in action on Sunday following a bloody conflict with militants in the Jammu & Kashmir region of Kishtwar. Just over a month ago, while on leave, Kumar had promised his family that work would start in January. Rakesh had intended to restore the family’s destroyed ten-room home, according to his brother Karam Singh.
Rakesh Kumar leaves behind a bereaved family, including his wife Bhanupriya, daughter Yashshwini (13), son Pranav (7), and his mother Bhati Devi, 90. For the ultimate farewell, his remains were taken to his hometown village early Tuesday after being flown to Kangni helipad by a special Army chopper.
Kumar was martyred in an Army engagement that took place as authorities attempted to eliminate a terrorist organization that had abducted and killed two Village Defence Guards (VDGs) on Thursday. The terrorists, who were allegedly members of the Kashmir Tigers, a Jaish-e-Mohammad branch based in Pakistan, were apprehended by special forces commandos during a huge search operation that was sparked by this incident in the Kuntwara and Keshwan parts of Jammu.
This year, security forces have killed 13 terrorists and killed 16 security officers, 10 civilians, and three VDGs in the ongoing battles throughout Jammu and Kashmir. Violent skirmishes have also occurred in Kashmir, where 24 terrorists have been neutralized and nine troops and 15 civilians have been killed in various operations.
