Two Sons In Two Months: Rifleman's Killing In Kathua Attack Revives Horrific Memories Of Uttarakhand Family

As news about the killing of Rifleman Adarsh Negi broke on Monday, the family in Thati (Dagar) village of Kirtinagar located in Devprayag of Tehri district turned inconsolable as the attack revived the dreaded memories of the death of Major Pranay Negi, Adarsh's cousin, who died in the line of duty in Ladakh in May this year.

Tehri (Uttarakhand): As the nation mourns the loss of soldiers in a spurt of terror attacks in Jammu region of restive Jammu and Kashmir, a family in Tehri district of Uttarakhand is in mourning after losing two sons in the line of action in the last two months.

The Negi family in Thati (Dagar) village of Kirtinagar located in Devprayag of Tehri district is inconsolable after losing two sons in the line of action in Jammu and Kashmir. Rifleman Adarsh Negi was among five soldiers who were killed in a militant ambush attack in Machedi forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Monday. Naik Vinod Singh of Tehri, Havildar Kamal Singh and Anuj Negi of Pauri, and Naib Subedar Anand Singh of Rudraprayag are the other four soldiers killed in Monday's attack.

Adarsh's killing is the 2nd loss the Negi family has suffered in the last two months after Major Pranay Negi, Adarsh's cousin also died in the line of duty in Leh district of Ladakh in May this year. Adarsh's killing in the Monday's attack revived the dreaded memories of May as the rifleman's body reached home after the Army laid the wreaths of the five bravehearts.

As soon as the news of Adarsh Negi's martyrdom reached his village, a wave of mourning descended in the village.

Adarsh had joined the Garhwal Rifles in 2018 while Pranay was posted with the 94 Medium Regiment in Ladakh.

Rifleman Adarsh Negi is survived by his father Dalbir Singh Negi, his mother, a brother and an elder sister. His brother currently works in Chennai. The elder sister is married and his father is a farmer in the village.

On Monday, terrorists attacked the Indian Army truck carrying the soldiers of the Garhwal Rifles in Machedu woods of Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir as part of a well-planned conspiracy leaving five soldiers dead and as many injured, who have been admitted to Sainik Hospital in Pathankot, Punjab for specialised treatment.