Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Commanding Officer of 21 Rashtriya Rifles unit, lost his life in a joint operation of Indian Army and the J&K police in the Handwara area of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army lost four of its personnel and the J&K police one. Security forces also managed to gun down two militants, one of whom has been identified as Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Haider, reported India Today.
Meanwhile, here are the 5 things to know about Colonel Ashutosh Sharma who was killed by terrorists in Handwara:
1. Col Ashutosh Sharma had been twice decorated with gallantry medals for exemplary bravery in counter-terrorist missions
2. Belonging to the Guards Regiment, Col Ashutosh Sharma, had been serving in the Kashmir valley for a long time.
3. He is also the first Commanding Officer or a Colonel-rank Army person in the last five years to have lost his life in an encounter with terrorists.
4. Originally from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, Colonel Sharma is survived by his wife and a 12-year-old daughter.
5. The Colonel had told his colleagues that it was his aim to nab/ gun down Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Haider, reported India Today.
Meanwhile, others who lost their lives in the Handwara operation include Major Anuj Sood, Naik Rajesh and Lance Naik Dinesh.
