Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday took part in a wreath laying ceremony and paid tribute to Rifleman Hilal Ahmad Bhat, who was killed on Wednesday.
Bhat was found dead, with bullet injuries on his body, after being kidnapped by militants in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district while his colleague escaped despite sustaining bullet wounds, officials said.
“I salute the supreme sacrifice of our braveheart Rfn Hilal Ahmad Bhat. His courage and dedication will never be forgotten,” the LG said in a statement.
He added, “The entire nation stands in solidarity with the martyr’s family during this time of grief.”
Bhat, a personnel of the Territorial Army’s 161 unit, was allegedly abducted by militants during a joint military operation conducted by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in Anantnag district.
Along with another personnel, he was kidnapped from a forest area during the operation. While one managed to escape with injuries, Bhat was found dead with gunshot wounds in the Pathribal forest area during a subsequent search.
The joint operation, which began on October 8, was launched based on intelligence inputs, and the efforts continued overnight to recover the missing personnel.
