Said he’d ring back, recalls families of Colonel Manpreet Singh

Colonel Manpreet Singh, one of three security personnel killed in a battle with terrorists in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, in the early hours of Wednesday, spoke to his family for the last time at 6:45 a.m.

Colonel Singh, Major Ashish Dhonack, and Deputy Superintendent Himayun Bhat were seriously injured in a gun fight with terrorists on Wednesday in Anantnag’s Garol district. According to officials, the officers died as a result of their injuries while being treated. Another soldier died, and the whereabouts of another are unknown.

“We last spoke to him (Colonel Singh) at 6:45 am. He said he would speak later. He was a good man. Last year, he was awarded the Sena Medal for his duty. I salute him,” Colonel Singh’s brother-in-law Virender Gill said.

He was the commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles. Major Ashish Dhonack, 34, leaves behind his wife and two-year-old daughter in Haryana’s Panipat.

“Last spoke to him on the telephone. He was home one and a half months ago and was supposed to return in October to shift houses,” said Major Dhonack’s uncle.

Himayun Bhat, Deputy Superintendent of J&K Police, died as a result of severe blood loss. He was the son of retired Inspector General of J&K Police Ghulam Hassan Bhat. Mr. Bhat and his wife had only recently had a son.

The bodies of the police officer and two army officials were recovered from the forests of Anantnag’s Kokernag district.

Dilbagh Singh, Director General of J&K Police, and Lt General Rajiv Ghai, commander of the Army’s 15 Corps, were among the top authorities who hurried to the scene to oversee the evacuation of dead.

The army and police launched a coordinated operation late Tuesday night in response to specific intelligence concerning the presence of terrorists.

The troops, commanded by the commanding officer and a deputy superintendent of police from Jammu and Kashmir, came under fire.

In a gun confrontation with terrorists, three officers were badly injured. According to sources, reinforcements were swiftly deployed to the location, but the injured could not be evacuated owing to intense gunfire from the well-entrenched terrorists.

Kent, a six-year-old female Labrador dog from the Army’s canine squad, was killed and three security men were injured in a gunfight in Rajouri the day before. In the previous gunfight, two terrorists were killed.