SRINAGAR: The nation paid tribute to the ultimate sacrifices of 9 Paramilitary Army Captain Tushar Mahajan and Lance Naik Commando Om Prakash of 9 Para Regiment, who were martyred during the ongoing encounter in Pampore in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, as a wreath laying ceremony was held for the bravehearts in Srinagar on Monday.
“Operations are going on with full synergy and all civilians have been evacuated. The building in which the terrorists are holed up is massive. Each of the floor has to be cleared room by room . Our special units are in contact with complete synergy with the CRPF outside. Lance Naik Om Prakash had 13 years of experience in counter- terror operations. Captain Tushar is a son of the soil. We are sad at the loss but these young lads have done the nation and the Indian Army proud,” Lieutenant General Satish Kumar Dua told the media here.
Talking about the ongoing encounter he said that there was ‘no hurry’ and that the security forces will take as long as they have to, to finish the operation adding that their main purpose was to ensure that there are no more casualties.
26-year-old Captain Tushar Mahajan, who hailed from Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir was leading his team in the ongoing operation in Pampore when he was martyred.
Lance Naik Om Prakash, whose team had closed in on the hiding terrorists, was also injured during the gunbattle and succumbed to his injuries later. He had been earlier awarded with the "Asadharan Suraksha Seva Praman Patra" by the Prime Minister of India on 15 Aug 2013 for gallantry in counter terrorist operations.
The 32-year-old late Lance Naik Om Prakash hailed from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh and is survived by his parents, wife and two daughters aged 7 and 3 years.
Meanwhile, the gunfight between security forces and terrorists entered the third day on Monday in Pampore, with the death toll reaching to seven till now including one terrorist.
The terrorists are holed up inside the multi-storeyed government complex of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) on the Srinagar Jammu National Highway in Pampore.