New Delhi: On Tuesday, a somber cloud settled over Barnog village in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district as the body of Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar arrived for his final farewell. The atmosphere was charged with patriotic chants of "Jai Hind" and the emotional cries of grieving family members and villagers, who had come in large numbers to honor him.

Rakesh Kumar had envisioned rebuilding his family home, damaged by monsoon rains last year. Tragically, he was killed in action during a confrontation with terrorists in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. “Our ten-room house was damaged last monsoon, forcing us to rent temporarily. Rakesh had visited just over a month ago and planned to begin reconstruction in January,” his brother Karam Singh shared.

Kumar leaves behind his wife, Bhanupriya, their children—daughter Yashshwini (13) and son Pranav (7)—and his 90-year-old mother, Bhati Devi.

On Monday afternoon, a special Army helicopter brought his remains to Kangni helipad, from where they were moved to Ner Chowk Medical College before reaching his hometown Tuesday morning.

A member of the Army’s 2 Para, Rakesh Kumar was killed while three of his comrades were injured in an encounter with terrorists, who had recently kidnapped and murdered two Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in the Kishtwar area.

This incident led to an extensive operation in the Kuntwara and Keshwan regions, with special forces pursuing a group of terrorists, estimated to be three to four in number. The Pakistan-based faction Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), through its Kashmir Tigers wing, claimed responsibility for the VDGs’ abduction and murder.

This year has seen significant loss of life in Jammu, with 16 security personnel, 10 civilians, and three VDGs killed in separate terror attacks. Security forces have also neutralized 13 terrorists in the area. In Kashmir, nine personnel and 15 civilians have lost their lives, with security forces eliminating 24 terrorists in response.