Chandigarh, April 30
A young artillery officer from the city, Capt Sumit Kohli, was killed in an ambush in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir today.
Captain Kohli was decorated with Shaurya Chakra on January 26 this year by the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Serving Rashtriya Rifles, he was to move out on posting tomorrow.
Family sources said Captain Kohli had become a target of the militants after he received the gallantry award, but the officer wanted to go for a final search-and-rescue operation before being posted out.
As soon as the news was broken to the family, a pal of gloom descended his house
(2685, Sector 40-C).
On hearing the news, his father, Mr Satish Kohli, a retired officer from Markfed, suffered a heart attack. He was admitted to Command Hospital, Chandimandir.
Captain Kohli, who got married a year ago, studied at Sainik School, Rewa.
The killing of the Captain comes a day after a self-styled battalion commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Bilal Ahmad Dar, was killed in an encounter with the Special Operations Group, assisted by 55 Rashtriya Rifles in Pulwama district.
A news report from Srinagar said unidentified gunmen shot at and injured one Army personnel in Bandipora yesterday. It could, however, not be ascertained if this injured officer was Captain Kohli, who succumbed to his injuries today or whether Captain Kohli died in another incident today.
Meanwhile, relatives and neighbours started arriving at the house of the officer, but no one was in a position to give details of the tragedy.
“All we know is that Sumit was leading a party when he was attacked,” said a relative.
The body of the officer is expected to be brought to Chandigarh tomorrow where he will be given a state funeral.
