Captain Brijesh Thapa’s parents expressed immense pride in their son’s sacrifice for the nation, despite the deep sorrow of his loss during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district. The encounter in the Desa Forest area on Monday evening resulted in the deaths of Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay. Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by the Indian Army and J&K Police was underway in Doda.
“I couldn’t believe it when I was told he was gone. Since childhood, he always wanted to join the Indian Army. He would wear my Army uniform and walk around. Even after completing his engineering, he still aimed for the Army. He cleared the exam on his first attempt and was admitted. I am proud my son contributed to the nation’s security. The saddest part is we won’t see him again, but I am happy he sacrificed his life for his country,” Captain Thapa’s father told ANI.
Nilima Thapa, Captain Thapa’s mother, shared her pride in her son’s sacrifice. “He won’t return to us. We got the news at 11 pm. He was a very decent guy and always wanted to join the Army. We used to warn him that Army life is tough. I am very proud of my son who sacrificed his life for the country. The government will act, but sadly, we lost our son,” she told ANI.
#WATCH | Siliguri, West Bengal: Yogesh Thapa, uncle of Captain Brijesh Thapa, who lost his life in an encounter in J&K’s Doda, remembers his nephew.
He says, “… He was killed in action last night in Doda. We are waiting for his body to arrive, after which we will go to… pic.twitter.com/AWqAwd6YA5
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2024
Captain Thapa’s uncle, Yogesh Thapa, urged the Union government to act against the terrorists. “He was my brother’s son and was killed in action last night in Doda. We are waiting for his body to arrive, after which we will go to Darjeeling, where his parents live. He joined the service five years ago and was brought up in Army areas. He was unmarried. His father is a Colonel in the Army. We expect the body to be handed over by tomorrow,” he said.
“It’s easy to say he sacrificed his life for the country, but the loss we have suffered as a family can never be coped with,” he added.
According to the White Knight Corps, contact with the terrorists was established, leading to a heavy firefight. Four Army personnel, including an officer, were killed in the encounter. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday about the encounter in Doda.