LoC killings: Last rites of jawans held with military honours

Amid heart-rending scenes, the mortal remains of five army jawans killed by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control were on Thursday consigned to flames with full military honours in their respective villages in Bihar and Maharashtra.

In Ara in Bihar, the funeral pyre of Lance Naik Shambhu Saran, 29, was lit by his two-year-old son Piyush while that of Naik Prem Nath Singh, 35, was consigned to flames by his two-and-a-half-year-old son Prateek at Simaria Ghat on the bank of river Saryu in Saran district.

The last rites of Sepoy Vijay Rai, 27, were performed on the bank of river Ganga at his native village Bayapur in Maner block of Patna district with his six-year-old son Vivek lighting the pyre amid chanting of hymns and slogans of "Vijay Rai Amar Rahe."

People turned emotional when Vivek consoled his mother and grandmother and said he would join the army to avenge the killing of his father.

Rai's colleagues from Danapur regiment and Bihar Police personnel paid respect to him by reversing their arms.

Mortal remains of Lance Naik Raghunandan Prasad were consigned to flames at Dubhaigarh ghat on the bank of river Saryu in Saran district. His uncle Tribhuban Prasad lit the pyre of the 23-year-old soldier who was a bachelor.

Large number of people from the jawans' villages and adjacent areas gathered at the funeral sites to pay their respect to the departed soldiers. Slogans against Pakistan for the audacious killings were raised.

When district magistrate told Triloki Rai, uncle of Shambhu Sharan, that compensation of Rs 10 lakh announced by the state government would be sent to his home, he retorted, "We don't want compensation but military action against Pakistan."

The bodies of the four soldiers were flown by a special Air Force plane at the Jai Prakash Narayan airport late Wednesday night.

In Kolhapur in Maharashtra, the last rites of Naik Kundalik Mane were held with full military honours at his native village Pimpalgaon.

Hundreds of people gathered at the cremation ground to pay their homage to the 36-year-old soldier, belonging to Maratha Light Infantry.

Cries of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" filled the air as the gun salute reverberated before the funeral pyre was lit.

Officers of the Southern Command had paid their respects to the martyr when the body arrived at Pune airport from Delhi before being transported to Kolhapur by road.

In a provocative attack, a group of 20 heavily-armed men entered 450 metres into the Indian territory in Poonch sector on Tuesday and ambushed a patrol, killing five Indian soldiers.