Major Anuj Sood's mortal remains reach Chandigarh, cremation on Tuesday

The mortal remains of Major Anuj Sood, who was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Kashmir, arrived on Monday at the Air Force station here where floral tributes were paid to the martyr.

The mortal remains of the Army officer who was from the Brigade of the Guards regiment, part of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles and deployed to counter terrorism in the Kashmir valley, arrived at the 12 Wing Air Force station, Chandigarh. The last rites will be conducted on Tuesday with full military honours at the cremation ground at Mani Majra here, officials said. The 30-year-old officer was among the five security personnel killed in the encounter with terrorists at a village in Rajwar forests of north Kashmir on Sunday.

Major Sood's father Brigadier Chandrakant Sood (retd) is a resident of Panchkula, Haryana.

Brigadier Chandrakant told the media at his Panchkula residence that the news of his son's demise had left him shocked, but at the same time he was proud of the supreme sacrifice he had made for his motherland.

"He was a true son of the nation," he said.

Major Anuj, who was married, also has two sisters one of whom lives in Australia while the other one is serving in the Army, his father said.

An alumnus of Punjab Public School, Nabha, he had joined the National Defence Academy in 2008. He had one dream, which was to join the Army, according to his family.

His family said he was scheduled to return home after a gap of six months and having finished his two-year stint in Jammu and Kashmir, he was to join the 12 Guards unit in Gurdaspur.