Two soldiers, including the army captain, were killed and another was injured in an IED blast by suspected militants on Tuesday near the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The Northern Command of the Army released a post on the social media forum ‘X’ stating that the martyred soldiers have been identified as Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi and hero Mukesh Manhas. The attack took place at a time when the Army’s General Officer Commanding (GOC) Lieutenant General Naveen Sachdeva, the Army’s ‘White Night Corps’ unit, reviewed the “hostile activities” on the Line of Control in Rajouri district on Monday.
It was only two weeks since the hero Mukesh Singh Manhas returned to his army camp in Jammu and Kashmir after attending his engagement ceremony. Their marriage was scheduled in April and Manhas’s family was in a mood for celebrations in Samba. However, the celebration turned into mourning after 29 -year -old Manhas was martyred in the IED blast by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday. Manhas was patrolling with Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi of Jharkhand near an advance post in Bhattal area of Akhnoor at around 3.50 pm.
Manhas re -joined his army unit on 28 January after a two -week holiday. On Wednesday, when his body was brought to relatives for the last darshan, there was an atmosphere of sadness in the village of Kamila in Samba. According to PTI reports, the villagers remembered Manhas as an ambitious cricketer who was always ready to help the people trapped in crisis. Manhas’ childhood friend told PTI, “He was a cricket lover and during his recent stay in the village, he made extraordinary efforts to prepare a cricket pitch for the youth.”
His father Chartar Singh, who is a retired police personnel, said that Manhas served in Siachen, Kashmir and Punjab before being posted in Akhnoor, Jammu. He said that his son had a desire to serve the country from a very young age. Singh, whose younger son is also in the army, told reporters, “He served in the army for more than nine and a half years … He took two weeks leave from duty for his ring ceremony and in his unit on January 28 had returned.” Manhas have two sisters, both are married.
The martyr soldier was to be married on 20 April. Another villagers close to the family said that Manhas always inspired the youth to join sports and stay away from bad habits. He said, “We have lost a true gem. The enemy does not have the courage to face our brave soldiers. We are confident that our security forces will take appropriate action to provide justice to the martyrs.”
In a solemn wreath-laying ceremony, #GOC @Whiteknight_ia laid a wreath at Air Force Station #Jammu to pay homage to #Bravehearts Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi & Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas, who made the supreme sacrifice on 11 February in the highest traditions of the #IndianArmy. pic.twitter.com/W5kpLPDOjB
— PRO Defence Jammu (@prodefencejammu) February 12, 2025
