Three funerals: Army officials cremated in their hometowns

Jaipur/Chandigarh/Almor: An Army colonel, a major and a lance naik killed in a firefight in Kashmir were cremated Tuesday at moving funeral ceremonies, after their bodies were brought home in coffins wrapped in the tricolour. The body of Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, the commanding officer of 21 Rashtriya Rifles who was killed Saturday night, was consigned to the flames in Jaipur. Major Anuj Sood was cremated will full military honours in Chandigarh. Lance Naik Dinesh Singh's last rites were held at Rameshwar ghat in Uttarakhand's Almora, attended by family members including ex-Army man Godhan Singh Gainra. The three soldiers were among the five security personnel killed during an anti-terror operation in Handwara in north Kashmir. Col Sharma was the second commanding officer of 21 RR to have been killed fighting terrorists.