KOLLAM: A Kottarakkara native was among the five Indian Army personnel killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday.
Apart from Vaisakh H, 24, a resident of Asanmukku, Junior Commissioned Officer Subedar Jaswinder Singh, Sepoy N K Mandeep Singh, Sepoy Gajjan Singh — all from Punjab — and Sepoy Saraj Singh of Uttar Pradesh were killed in the attack. It was learnt that the terrorists were hiding in a forest area near Krishna Ghatti sector in Surankote area of Poonch district.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the encounter took place during a search operation. Vaisakh, who joined the Army five years ago, returned to Jammu and Kashmir only a month back after his grandmother’s funeral.
Vaisakh is the son of Harikumar and Beena Kumari in Odanavattam. Shilpa is his sister. The Defence Ministry has started the process to bring Vaisakh’s body to his native place. He was a jawan with the 16 Rashtriya Rifles battalion of the 22nd Mechanical Department. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condoled the demise of Vaisakh.