Anantnag encounter: Last rites of fallen heroes held, mourners flood final journey

The nation paid tributes to Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak, and DSP Bhat who were killed during an encounter in J&K's Anantnag.

The last rites of DSP Bhat were performed in Budgam on Wednesday evening. Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the deaths of the officers in the encounter, while also paying tributes to the slain DSP at Budgam on Wednesday.

The mortal remains of Major Dhonchak were consigned to the flames on Friday with full military honours. His body reached Panipat on Friday and was taken to his native village where the last rites were conducted after a wreath-laying ceremony and a gun salute.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was commanding 19 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Battalion and died in a counter insurgency operation in Anantnag on Wednesday, was about to complete his tenure with RR in four months.

A stoic six-year-old dressed in Army fatigue saluted his father one last time as Colonel Manpreet Singh, was cremated at his village in Punjab's Mohali district on Friday.

Colonel Singh's house in Bharaunjian village witnessed a steady stream of mourners who joined his inconsolable wife, mother and other family members in his final journey.

The gunfight between a Army personnel, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the terrorists in Anantnag's Kokernag entered the third straight day on Friday. Efforts to locate and neutralise the gunmen are under way.

Officials said the security personnel involved in the operation, which broke out on Wednesday, were being assisted by quadcopters and drones in the ongoing efforts to locate the terrorists.

Security forces said they recovered warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search amid the encounter that carried over into Wednesday evening.

In heartfelt tributes to the bravehearts, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty during the Kokernag encounter, people from all walks of life took part in a candlelight march on Thursday evening in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara and Kulgam.