Jammu and Kashmir: Ceremony Honors Two Fallen Soldiers in Akhnoor Sector

Synopsis

On February 12, Lt General Navin Sachdeva led a wreath-laying ceremony in Jammu for two soldiers killed by an IED blast near the LoC. The event honored Captain Bakshi and Naik Manhas, who were due to marry in April, before their remains were sent home for final rites.

Key Takeaways

Wreath-laying ceremony led by Lt General Navin Sachdeva.
Two soldiers honored: Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi and Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas.
IED explosion occurred near Line of Control.
Officials from various departments attended the ceremony.
Both soldiers were engaged to be married soon.

Jammu, Feb 12 (NationPress) Lt General Navin Sachdeva, the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Nagrota headquartered White Knight Corps, presided over a poignant wreath-laying ceremony on Wednesday for two army personnel who lost their lives in an IED blast near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Akhnoor sector.

The ceremony was held to honor Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi from Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas from Samba, Jammu and Kashmir. The event took place at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station, where the bodies of the fallen soldiers were prepared for return to their hometowns for final rites.

Lt Gen. Sachdeva and other officers laid wreaths on the flag-draped coffins of the soldiers. The ceremony was further dignified by the presence of senior officials from the IAF, police, and civil administration, including Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, ADGP Anand Jain, and Bhim Sen Tuti, the Inspector General of Police for the Jammu zone.

The tragic incident occurred when a powerful improvised explosive device (IED), reportedly planted by militants, detonated near a forward post in the Bhattal area of Akhnoor on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of two Army members and injuring another.

Following the explosion, Army personnel launched an extensive search operation; however, there was no evidence of the terrorists, who are believed to have escaped across the border after triggering the IED.

The remains of the valiant soldiers were subsequently transported to their hometowns for funerals with full military honors, as confirmed by officials.

Notably, both Captain Bakshi and Naik Manhas were set to marry in April.

In a related incident last week, five terrorists were killed in Rajouri while attempting to cross into Indian territory along the LoC. One militant triggered a landmine laid by the Indian Army as part of their anti-infiltration strategy.