Last rites of six soldiers killed in Manipur held in Jammu

The mortal remains of six soldiers from Jammu and Kashmir, killed in a Manipur militant ambush last week, were cremated with full military and state honours here on Sunday, defence officials said.

A defence spokesman told IANS that the bodies of seven soldiers reached Jammu from Imphal in a special Indian Air Force aircraft.

Six of them -- Naib Subedar Ram Singh, resident of Swankha More, Vijaypur; Havildar Satpal Bhasin, resident of Muthi, Jammu; Havildar Randeep Singh, resident of village Bomal, Akhnoor; Lance Naik Kuldeep Raj, resident of village Burn, Jammu; Sepoy Vijay Kumar, resident of village Serh, Akhnoor and Havildar Sunil Kumar, resident of Sunderbani -- were from Jammu region while Sepoy Manjeet Singh was from Pathankot in neighbouring Punjab.

He said that before the last rites and military funeral, wreaths were laid on the bodies by Tiger Division commander, Maj.Gen. Dushyant Singh, Air Force Station Jammu commander, Air Commodore Ashutosh Lal, Station Commander, Jammu, Col. A Mathur and other officers.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh attended the funeral of Havildar Satpal Bhasin, MP Jugal Kishore the funeral of Lance Naik Kuldeep Raj and legislator Ravinder Raina that of Havildar Sunil Kumar, he said.

Crossed Swords Division commander, Maj. Gen. Kulpreet Singh attended the funeral of Havildar Randeep Singh, and his deputy, Brig. Vivek Sharma that of Vijay Kumar.

"A large number of locals including their family members, army authorities and civil dignitaries were present and paid homage to the martyrs."