A soldier from slain Hizbul Mujahedeen terrorist Burhan Wani's hometown of Tral made the nation proud when he laid down his life in the line of duty. Naik Mudasir Ahmad, 37, was grievously injured when mortar shells fired by the Pakistan army landed on his bunker early Monday morning.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The soldier was taken to the Medical Inspection (MI) room where he succumbed to his injuries.

Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling on Indian forward positions on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri sector of Jammu division on Monday. A five-year-old child was killed and two other civilians were injured when their villages in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu division got shelled.

No sooner the news of Naik Mudasir's martyrdom spread, all roads seemed to have led to his house. Despite the fact that Tral is known for its large terrorist infestation, scores of people visited Naik Mudasir's residence to offer condolence to the family members. In Buchu village of Tral in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, Mudasir is survived by his wife Shaheena and two sons — Burhan and Mehrab.

Naik Mudasir is the fourth son of soil to have been killed on the LoC along Jammu and Kashmir in the past one week. Two soldiers of Jammu were killed in Keran on Wednesday while another of Poonch had fallen to Pakistani bullets in Rajouri sector on Saturday.

"Naik Mudasir was a brave and sincere soldier. He loved his job to the core. The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," said Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta, defence spokesman at Jammu.

A brilliant student, Mudasir was passionate about the uniform. "One fine day, he left his school in Pulwama for Anantnag to join the recruitment rally. He was selected and asked to join training immediately. His brother too is serving in the army," Mohammad Afzal Rather, Mudasir's father, told DNA.

Naik Mudasir of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry had completed his mandatory tenure in the army and was planning for retirement. He had constructed his dream house where he intended to live his retired life.

Meanwhile, Saida, the five-year-old child, was killed in Behrooti Moholla of Dadayena in Poonch.

"Heavy mortal shelling was reported in forward areas of Tehsil Manjakote in Rajouri from 8.30 am. One seriously injured civilian, Shah Begum, was admitted in the district hospital while the other injured, Sharief Ahmed, was treated with first aid," said Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, deputy commissioner of Rajouri.

The district administration has ordered closure of all schools in the morning. However, 120 students were held up in a government school at Panjgrain. "The headmaster and our senior officers are coordinating their safe evacuation as shelling reported of have affected nearby areas," said Choudhary.

An alert has been sounded and residents have been advised to stay indoors. Aroud 5,000 people in Panjgrain, Rajdhani and Naika villages are the worst affected by the shelling. Three Schools and a Panchayat ghar have been notified as shelter camps for the residents of the LoC villages.