Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj Sood, Naik Rajesh Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Singh, and SI Sageer Ahmed Qazi made the supreme sacrifice while engaging in a gun battle against terrorists in Handwara, north of Kashmir. Two terrorists were neutralized in the encounter.
The soldiers, part of the 21 Rashtriya rifles, along with SI Qazi entered the house of a civilian to prevent a hostage attempt by the terrorists. The terrorists had used 11 civilians as human shields that included 5 women and children. They were found hiding in a home taking the civilians as hostage in a house. The security forces came under heavy firing as they tried to evacuate the civilians trapped.
Prime Minister Modi offered his tributes to the supreme sacrifice made by the soldiers. He tweeted that “their sacrifice will never be forgotten”. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too offered his salute to the sacrifice made by the soldiers. “We will never forget their bravery and sacrifice”, he tweeted.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced 50 lakhs for the family of Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, a government job for one member of the family and a ‘Gaurav Dwaar’ (memorial gate) at his village.