Bodies of Army officers killed in Kashmir brought to Delhi, presented Guard of honour

The bodies of Army personnel, who were killed in an encounter in Shopian town in Jammu and Kashmir, were brought to Delhi today and given guard of honour by the Indian Army .

Major Mukund Vardarajan and sepoy Vikram Singh were killed by militants during an overnight gun battle that started Friday in Shopian, which is 55 kilometres away from Srinagar.

The bodies were flown to Delhi from Srinagar and will now be sent to their respective hometowns.

While Major Vardarajan's body will be sent to his home in Chennai, sepoy Vikram Singh's body will be sent to his home in Haryana.

Both the officials are survived by wives and children.

Acting on a tip-off about a militant hideout, security forces launched the search operation to flush them out. The militants were reportedly asked to surrender but they resorted to firing, triggering the gunfight.

Lieutenant General, Sanjiv Chachra of the Northern Command laid wreaths on the coffins during the guard of honour and acknowledged Major Vardarajan's leadership while respecting his sacrifice.

"He has left a good example to 44 Rashtriya Rifles and to the Indian Army and Northern Command that sacrifices do not go wasted," said Chachra.

The militant attacks along the vulnerable Indian borders have increased as the mammoth general elections kicked off this month. These attacks are aimed at instilling fear among the masses and show resentment towards the establishment.