Guwahati, April 23: An Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel from Arunachal Pradesh was among those killed in the recent terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Corporal Tage Hailyang, a native of Tajang village in the Lower Subansiri district, had been on vacation when the incident occurred. Corporal Hailyang, who was posted at the Srinagar Air Force base, was fatally shot during the ambush. His wife survived the attack.
He was among those who lost their lives during the attack in the picturesque tourist town of Pahalgam in Anantnag district.
“The body will be handed over to the family members after completion of all official formalities. Some of his friends and relatives are currently present,” the official said.
He further informed that Corporal Hailyang’s body will first be airlifted to New Delhi and subsequently to Guwahati on an Air India flight scheduled around 2:30 pm.
Reacting to the news, Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed profound grief over the death of the IAF personnel.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Corporal Tage Hailyang of the Indian Air Force, a brave son of Arunachal Pradesh who hailed from Tajang village in Lower Subansiri. While visiting Pahalgam with his wife, his life was cruelly taken in a senseless act of terror,” Khandu said in a social media post.
“He served the nation with courage and honour, and his untimely death is a great loss not only to his family but to the entire country. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, especially his wife who survived this horrific incident. May they find strength and solace in this unimaginable time of grief. We will always remember Corporal Hailyang for his service and sacrifice,” the chief minister added.
The attack, which took place on Tuesday afternoon, left multiple civilians dead and at least 20 injured, according to preliminary reports.
