Jammu and Kashmir paramilitary soldier cremated with full honours

Samba (J-K), Mar 26 (ANI): Paramilitary trooper Rakesh Kumar, who was killed during a five-day long gunbattle in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, was cremated here on Wednesday with full military honours.

Kumar's colleagues said he fought the militants for two hours despite sustaining bullet injuries on the first day of the encounter.

"He (Rakesh Kumar) took position at a higher area and started firing, he tried to save the officers. Of the three militants close to him, he gunned down two. He gave safe passage to two of his colleagues, one of whom had been hit by a bullet. During that time two bullets hit Kumar on his leg and he was not able to move. He took position and kept firing for two hours after which he got shot on his head and died," said Suresh Pal, a junior commissioned officer with the Indian army.

The clash broke out on Friday after soldiers surrounded a group of heavily armed militants in Shamsbari forest near the Line of Control (LoC).

At least 25 people were killed in the fierce encounter.

Army recovered a huge cache of arms including AK- 47 rifles, grenades, a pistol, cartridges, radio and communication systems, maps, snow boots and other combat material from the encounter sites. (ANI)