Dehradun: The mortal remains of body of Havildar Thakur Bahadur Ale Magar of 5th Battalion whose body was recovered after a nine-month long search after he was buried along with four of his fellow soldiers under an avalanche in Ladakh, were brought to his unit in Dehradun on Thursday where he was cremated with full military honours.
The bodies of Magar and Havildar Rohit Kumar and Naik Gautam Rajbanshi were recovered over the last one week by the rescuers in Ladakh after being trapped deep down under thick layers of ice and snow in October last year. The body of Lance Naik Stanzin Targais was recovered soon after the incident. The bodies were recovered by the team of HAWS, Gulmarg.
Havildar Thakur Bahadur Ale Magar was part of a four-member route opening party during a mountaineering expedition to Mount Kun on October 8, 2023 when the team was caught in an avalanche. Continuous search operations were carried out for several days, but the bodies were not found due to bad weather and continuous avalanches. On July 7, 2024, the mortal remains of Havildar Thakur Bahadur Ale Magar and other soldiers were recovered by the search team of HAWS.
The Dehradun soldier was cremated with full military honors by his unit in Dehradun, which reflects the rich traditions and ethos of the Indian Army. Havildar Thakur Bahadur Ale Magar was an excellent mountaineer and participated in national level skiing and snowboarding competitions, in which he won two gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals. He is survived by his wife, 9-year-old daughter, 7-year-old son and elderly parents. Dehradun Defense PRO Colonel Manish Srivastava said that the Indian Army is firm in its commitment to its soldiers and their families and ensures that no comrade is left behind and honours the sacrifice of its brave warriors.
