Bodies of five martyrs arrive in city

CHANDIGARH, July 1: Five bodies of slain Indian soldiers arrived today at the Chandigarh Airport. A subdued silence enveloped the area as...

CHANDIGARH, July 1: Five bodies of slain Indian soldiers arrived today at the Chandigarh Airport. A subdued silence enveloped the area as the bodies were brought in and the silence was broken only when military honours were given to the mortal remains of the martyrs.

Bodies of Rifleman Dinesh Chand of Tehri Garhwal district in Uttar Pradesh, Rifleman Rajinder Singh also of Tehri Garhwal arrived at 1 p.m. Both soldiers belonged to Garhwal Rifles and their bodies were flown in from Leh. The martyrs sacrificed their lives while fighting in the Kargil sector in Operation Vijay.

At 3 p.m., three more bodies — those of Sepoy Bederpal Singh hailing from Saharanpur, Lance Naik Bhagwan Singh from Jhunjhunu and Sepoy Panwar Singh, district Jodhpur were flown in from Siachen Glacier area. The three, who belonged to the Rajput Rifles, made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Meghdoot.

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The bodies of Lance Naik Bhagwan Singh and Sepoy Panwar Singh were flown to Delhi by an Indian Air Force aircraft from where these will be further taken to their native places by road. The body of Sepoy Bederpal Singh has been sent to Saharanpur directly by road. Those of Rifleman Dinesh Chand and Rajinder Singh have been sent to Garhwal Rifles Regiment Centre.

Wreaths were laid on behalf of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff. Those who laid the wreaths included Brig S.K. Sinha, Station Commander, Air Commander S.K. Banerjee VM Station Commander Air Force Station, Chandigarh, Brig Deo Headquarters Western Command and Col Shakti Prasad N Area Command.