Body of missing soldier fished out from stream in Rajouri; army pays tributes

JAMMU: The body of a soldier who had gone missing during a river-crossing exercise in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir a day earlier was recovered on Tuesday, officials said.

The body of Sepoy Akshit Sharma was recovered from the Manawar Tawi stream by a joint search party of the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local rescuers in the Khour area this morning, officials said.

According to the Army, the soldier was reported missing on Monday noon during a river-crossing training exercise in the general area of Sundarbani, leading to extensive search operations with all available resources of the Army and civil agencies.

The Army’s White Knight Corps paid rich tributes to the soldier for the supreme sacrifice and said it stands in solidarity with his family.

“GOC (General Officer Commanding) White Knight Corps and all ranks pay solemn homage to Sepoy Akshit Sharma of 9 Punjab who made the Supreme Sacrifice on Mar 10 during a training exercise.

“In this hour of profound grief, the White Knight Corps stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and prays for strength and courage to the loved ones of the braveheard,” the army said in a post on X. (PTI)