Last rites of Pak shelling victims performed with full honours amid pride, grief

Emotional scenes were witnessed across the country as the last rites of those killed in shelling by Pakistan during the recent military conflict with India were performed on Sunday.

- 

The Jammu division, which bore the brunt of heavy Pakistani firing and sheliing, suffered the most casualties, including civilians.

Rifleman Sunil Kumar (25), who was posted with 4 J-K Light Infantry regiment, was given a tearful adieu with hundreds of mourners joining his last rites at his native village Triva in the Arnia sector.

Kumar was critically injured in cross-border shelling along the International Border in the RS Pura sector early Saturday. He succumbed to his injuries later.

The 25-year-old came from a military background --his two elder brothers currently serve in the armed forces, while his father is an ex-serviceman.

Kumar's relatives said he was inspired to join the army and serve the nation from a young age.

"The entire village is in mourning, as we lost a son of the soil who grew up in this border village and sacrificed his life in service of the nation,” Balbir Kour, a former sarpanch, said.

In another incident of cross-border shelling in the same sector, Mohammed Imteyaz, a BSF sub-inspector, lost his life.

J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary joined the wreath-laying ceremony for Imteyaz on Sunday.