'He Wanted To Build A New House': Family Remembers Army Para Commando Killed In Action In J&K

Indian Army's Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar, who was killed in action during a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar, wanted to rebuild his monsoon-damaged house, said his family. Sunday's encounter broke out when joint search parties of the Army and police intercepted the terrorists around 11 am in the Keshwan forest area. The exchange of fire went on for more than four hours.A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar of the Army's 2 Para, was killed and three more soldiers were injured in the gunfight."GOC (General Officer Commanding) White knight Corps and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of braveheart, Nb Sub Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para (SF). Sub Rakesh was part of a joint CI (counter-insurgency) operation launched in general area of Bhart Ridge Kishtwar. We stand with bereaved family in this hour of grief," the Army said in an X post.JCO Kumar's brother said that the family has been living in a rented house and he had promised to rebuild the house in January next year. “Our ten-room house was damaged during the monsoon last year and we were living in a rented house. Rakesh, who had come on a leave one-and-a-half months back, had promised to start the construction of the new house in January," Kumar's brother Karam Singh told PTI. The JCO is survived by his wife Bhanupriya, their children – daughter Yashshwini (13) and son Pranav (7) – and Bhati Devi, his 90-year-old mother.Security forces continued their search operation in the dense forests of Keshwan and adjoining areas in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Monday. Officials said there has been no fresh contact with the terrorists since Sunday's encounter.They said three to four terrorists, responsible for the killings, are still holed up in the area and a massive search operation is underway to neutralise them, adding that thick foliage and challenging topography pose a challenge for the security personnel relentlessly chasing the trail to hunt down the terrorists.